Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1910-08-04

not stood BY their word There are here gentlemen
70 close this thing right up now: They haven
gone into this report, they haven't examined int
the details They haven't taken into considerable
The discrepancies They haven taken In any item
whice is not chargeable 20 this County, but gentle
men. these things all want TO be passed right over
These same men have been members Of the County
Board for years, probably longer than have. but
gentlemen, stand here and say that ] am proud
that this report is before you that have got the
evidence and that have taken all the time We
wanted 10 discuss these matters The matter
gentlemen, Is now going to be closed. There
Us going to be no more discussions regarding this
report. This can be sealed Il doesn't make any
difference what the outcome IS. have helped 10
show gentlemen that there are shortages In the
moneys that have been received and accounted for
BY the trustees and superintendent OF this inStitu
ton. This have helped TO show that there are
trustees living and that there trustees dead who
have not done their duty as far as their Official
capacity in that office holds. have helped show
gentlemen, that the superintendent has been negli-
gent Of his trust. | have helped to show gentle
men. that the superintendent has assumed duties
that he was not JUSTIFIED IN assuming. have help
ed 70 show, gentlemen, that the farm has not been
satisfac lily managed have helped TO show
gentensr - must speak for myself because am
talkin On personal pTvilegeS-that In the various
invoices and accounts that have been paid BY the
Iowa County tax payers, superintendent OF this
Institution, who has been the only superintendent
OF this institution since its inception, has taken
for bis personal use aud has not accounted for
the items. l have helped show, gentlemen. that
eNOrbitant charges have been made these
ed TO the County, which are not proper charges
tO the County haye helped show, gentlemen
that the account az kept by the trustees and
superintendent has been very vague account.
] have helped show, gentlemen, that iu the exist
euCe of this institution there has not been a
book OF receipts kept by any trustee or supcrin-
teudent. have helped, show, gentlemen, that
ia the several invoices alluded to there have
been instances where the bills have been raised
by fraud. / have helped show, gentlemen, that
there have been additions put on these bills that
I hot 10 1.l1 ..ta.a al
paid and audited by tile trustees. have helped
SHOW, gentlemen, that there has been erasures
made time and again TO deceive the trustees, and
| blame the superintendent. | have helped
show, gentlemen, that all these things. these
personal items and eXorbitant charges have
been allowed by the trustees and that il has
been going on since 1890. ] have helped show,
genurnle ;, that those have gone on year tter
year and year after year ] have helped show,
gentlemen, that as far as discounts are concern
ed they have been taken at intervals aud dis
cOuutablc bills have not been discounted.
have helped show, gentlemen, that a different
ystcm should be established iu our ASYLUM aud
county home have helped show, gentlemen.
that the systems that have been praCticed there
have been to the favoring of one institution over
the other | have helped show, gentlemen, that
there have been needless aud eNtrayagaut eN-
penScs ia that institution. | don't care at this
time 70 bring up any matters that we haven't
"ons idercd in our report, although we left ont
matters that we thought probably might be
charges against the superintendent, but re-
Trained from doing SO for the simple reason thar
wasn't sure ia MY own mind. | have helped
show, gentlemen, that there has been quite an
amount OF graft going ON for years. II may be
petty graft. Call d what you will but IL is graft
Just the same The evidence of graft, YOU can
detect il everywhere; anywhere, pretty nearly
everywhere where you may go in this investiga-
ton. have my opinion, a member of this
board. OF a gentleman who wishes to 20
record as not opposed to any such conditions
We are here 10 do our duty to this County and
! to the taxpayers of this County. | have not in
y IN yaft "a Of
We are here by your authority and as men we
have made our report, and / will tell YOU gentle
men, whether this report goes down in defeat or
whether It IS carried, II matters no concern per
soually to me, II is up to the tax payers II they
want such condition to exist. 1t is up to the
County Board If they want everything TO go on
in the future or II they want things that were
wrong iV the past corrected Remember gentle
men, of the County Board, 1t Is up to Won to saw
and for YOU To decide whether those conditions
have been OVerdrawu by this committee of
which am member; whether things are true
as we have outlined them, and | will state per
soually from my own opinion that there has not
been one bit OF evidence presented that would
Chdngt that report In my estimation. | don't
want TO worry yOu any longer. | think have
done my duty. | am sorry | cannot speak for m
colleagues because tits under personal privilege
but If / might be permitted TO do so / know that
they, as well as l, are in accord with every para
graph Vt that report.
,Chair;l II is moved aud seconded that the
previous question be called ] call for ayes and
Mr.. o'Neu;l II may be permitted to cor.
rect the impression that the chair seems TO have
! would like to state that my view Of the pre-
vious question Is this; It Is a question of wheth-
er or not we shah close the sbate upon the
question before the house. That question has
been moved,
MIR, Roethe@ l will differ with the gentle
man from Dodgeyille in Just this, that accord
ing TO my opinion moving the previous question
I brings TO the board the question OF whether the
main question shall be put. II that Is carried
then vote the main question.
Ayes and nays called for, resulting Q ayes
aud 20 nays aud the motion declared lost
Ayes-CrIwfoTd, Gorgen, Horn. Byron Jones
O,Neill, Ihos, Rain, II. G. Raiue, RcWey aud
Richardson o.
Nays Bennett, Cody, Davis, Dickinson.
Egan. Flauuery Gromsted, Harker Jack SON
deaux, Roethe, Ryan, A. f.. Thomas W. II
| Thomas, Thompson and Smith-20.
MIR. Roethe;l As member of this committee
wish to thank those members who refused TO
shut of debate Of this matter.
tMr Egaua don't think that this County
Board understands what that resolution means.
IL means that this committee has gone into a
full investigation aud they want il placed ON
file, aud II there is anything wrong there we
want committee TO find IL and get il in dollars
aud cents aud report ii dt the next session of
the County Board. Since | have been requested
70 have It come IN little later will allow 1t To
lay on the table.
MIR. Roethe:l II seems Il we are TO have re-
ports taken up by the members of this board,
IL will be highly proper before YOU close this NO
TO 20 over the work that they have. don't be-
lteve II is going TO help matters 10 any way To
remain ia session until that is over, aud move
Won that we take recess until four O'Clock
Motion seconded by Mr. Eagau aud carried
and recess taken until four o'clock
P, NJ, Thursday, March 5rd.. 1910.
Mr.. Dickinson in the chair
Mr.. Reweya would like TO call your a..
tentiou aud ask for ruling ON this point before
we proceed. II is ia relation 10 the authority
under which this committee reports. [ read
from the records of the session of 1900 Satur-
day, Nov. 18Th, on page %; resolved that a COM
mittee Of three members Of this board be ap-
pointed 70 audit the receipts of the Iowa County
Insane Asylum and the moneys deposited in
the treasury OF this county for period of TWEEN
ty-three years ending June S0h, 1900. aud report
their findings at the earliest moment"
What would like YOU to decide Mr.. Chair
man, Is this; whether under this resolution this
committee had authority to go way beyond that
and exceed their Jurisdiction, subpouea wit
nesses, 90 into discussions on the building
fund, on the farm management aud on the NOR
al conditions of the home2
.Chair.l Gentlemen, | don't see how your
committee would get anything for their report
IL they didn't call Ia evidence to get the figures
that they had to have to make a report.
Mr.. Rewey;l In your opinion then did they
have the same right TO go into the eNpeudituresY
tChair:A should think IL was not exceeding
their authority. / am not entirely clear on this
myself and | would like TO call some higher
authority.
Mr., Rewey;' Indsmuch as the District At
toruey is here, | would like to have his opinion
on this matter. He has been called heretofore
(ChairJ Mr.. Smoker, will you please
give the bonrd your opinion In regard TO
MIR SmpikerD TachfuaI ropsidsratto,,