Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-06-05

! of once, as heretofore.
l called their attention to the nee
essity of checking back all receipts
issued with the tax lists In order to
have the books accurate.
| called their attention to the great
amount of lands that have been prov
ed up and placed on record in the
| past since / have been collecting
taxes, also to the steady increase in
the county.
l called the attention Of the board
that l was compelled to work late
in the night in order to do the WORK
and that could not stand 1t.
As any PERSONS business increases
they must employ additional help
and the same instance implies to the
county office, as the country proves
up and more people come in it increas-
es the work.
There are also two ways OF doing
any kind of work, one is to 40 II
right and one is to only do 1t half
way.
The county auditor is furnished with
a deputy the entire year, and was fur
nished with one clerk for five months
including the month of March, during
which month the amount OF work IN
his office was no greater than mine.
During the same time l had one
deputy, and when the bill for his sal
ary was presented the same was dis
allowed by the county commissioners
and l paid it out of my own pocket.
If this is not discriminating against
the county treasurer's office by the
commissioners, these facts do not
mean anything.
The minutes of the county commits
sioners show that certain clerk III
the register of deeds office, who hap
pens to be a nephew of John B..
Ecklund, was to receive $65 per month
for his services. For the month of
February there was warrant issued
to him for SIS for services as clerk,
and a warrant for $50 for extra work.
For the month of March there was
another warrant issued to him for
$65 and a warrant for $61.33 extra
work, making a total of $126.33 for
the work performed during the month
of March.
In regard to Mr. Ecklund's COM
HILL DIS " IuC 0CoIC OAe@AAAAASA - ANPOAS
and the assistance furnished him, l
did no more than my duty as a county
official. =,
AS to the lawsuit Mr.. Eclllund states
has been commenced against the com
m1ssioners for fraudulently obtaining
money from the county, | presented
the facts in regard to this matter to
R. NJ Stevens, states attorney OF Bur-
leigh county, together with the docu'
mentary proof that money had been
so obtained by and through the said
commissioners, and requested him to
commence criminal and civil proceed
ings against the commissioners. !
further offered to lend him every as
sistance and to swear to complaint.
| then allowed him reasonable time
to take action, and becoming convinc-
ed that he did not intend to prosecute
as states attorney, or even investigate
the matters presented, l was forced
to employ outs ide counsel at my own
expense to bring the action referred
to by Mr.. Ecklund.
Mr.. Ecklund states this suit was to
recover $4,014.7S to reimburse the
county for salary and mileage drawn
since January /, 1907. AS a matter
of fact this suit was brought for the
purpose of recovering back money
which was obtained by the commits.
sioners for commissioners services
which they did not perform and for
time which they did not serve, and
further, for livery and automobile
hire for which there is no warrant
at law. This suit was not brought
until Mr.. Ecklund accused me of be.
ing the most expensive man Burleigh
county ever had. To this suit the de-
PENDANTS interposed demurrer,
which is the plea OF defendant who
has no defense on the merits but
would invoke all of the laws delays.
In regard to my stamp account, Mr..
Ecklund states that it amounted to
$90.66 for the month of January. This
is untrue as my bill on file with the
auditor shows that it is for the months
Of January and February. Hereto.
fore the treasurer has used printed
postal cards in mailing out personal
tax notices, but as the postal laws
have been changed he is compelled to
use two cent stamp and sealed en-
velope, making the expense double.
Further, the cards purchased before
were included in bills presented to the
commissioners by the printers anc
consequently would not show as bill
presented by the treasurer as post
age.
In regard to my deposits in the var
ious banks, l can truthfully say as
long as I have been treasurer I have
been treating them all alike, according
to the amount of bonds furnished.
The deposits have been equally d.
vided and this I can prove by my
bank books in my office.
Any bank account may show a de-
post of $4,000, but the outstanding
checks against said account may be
$780, 900 or $4,000, which was the case
in the matter Mr.. Ecklund referred to.
will futher say that l made sew
eral requests to States Attorney Stew
ems and also County Commissioner
Webb that they ask the various banks
to furnish more bonds on account of
there would soon be more money in