Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-07-23
Council Bluffs
LGXITY GENERAL COMPLAINT
Checkers of County Offices Find
Voucher System Faulty.
ERRORS AMOUNT TO SALARIES
Examination Costs About $4,000 and
This sum DiscOvered-system I'm
Auditors office Declared
TO he Defective.


Freeman L. Reed and Charles +.
Paschel. the official checkers engaged by
the Board OF County Supervisors to ex-
anime all Of the offices OF the county, filed
a supplemental report yesterday and were
discharged. after having been nearly con-
tlnuously at work since December !.
Although their salary was $50 day each,
the amount Of errors and discrepancies dis
covered that called for refunds approx
mate about $500 or an amount equivalent
TO their salaries for the full period.
The supplemental report does not dis
close any additional errors, but embraces
a general complaint about the absence
of vouchers for a very large amount of
expenditures. The checkers say they had
to rely upon the proceedings OF the board
which showed that the claims were al
lowed, and in the absence OF vouchers the
claims could not be audited
The items of chief interest are the very
large amounts that have been paid out
for eleemosynary purposes, This includes
Tor the period Of two years S3,G74.O6 drawn
from the soldiers relief fund $12.316.34 for
the maintenance OF the county poor farm,
which is exclusive Of the amounts paid
for the maintenance OF paupers in other
parts Of the county The total amount of
warrants drawn to pay claims on the poor
fund for 1909 was S1S,5S9.95, and for the
year 1910 S23,sl5.96, a total for the two years
Of 342,3S591
The Pauper Insane.
The maintenance Of the pauper insane
was a stu heavier burden upon the tax
payers. The county insane claims for 1909
amounted to $S.29764. and the care Of the
insane in state institutions reached s12, 20,
making total for 1909 of $20,53s.73. In 1910
1t cost $3.50 40 to pay the care of the in
sane here and s15.6s4.7O for those in state
asylums making a total for 1910 of $24, 61S19,
or a grand total for the two years OF
si5,156.56. They were only collected during
the whole period of two years from
estates and those liable for the care of
such unfortunates the meager sum Of
N56711 The accountants say there appears
to have been no effort made by the county
auditor to collect from estates and those
liable and recommend that such efforts
be made in the future.
The total amount paid out for the keeping
Of the insane and poor during the two
years reaches the huge total of SIS 1882. To
this large sum must be added the amount
Of $3,674O6 paid for soldiers relief, and by
the taxpayers of Council Bluffs nearly
$500 for the pension funds of the firemen
and policemen.
The checkers also criticise the action of
the district court judges in issuing war
rants to attorneys for services rendered in
criminal cases where INDECENT defendants
are without counsel. A number OF causes
are noted where judges have approved
such claims and issued warrants to at
torneys when there is no record of the ap-
pointment of the latter. They also ask the
board not to pay court reporters claims
unless the dates for services are plainly
set out in the claims filed.
Lax Method Prevails.
The accountants severely criticise the
lax methods that have been observed in
keeping the saloon license records and say
concerning IT.:
We would call your attention to the
great number OF saloon papers OF various
kinds that have been filed in the auditor
office and the great Importance of these
papers to the parties concerned, also. to the
manner in which they have been kept In
the auditors office With the exception
of the bonds filed, by saloon men, no rec
ord whatever has been made.
In case OF loss of any of these papers
serious damage might result TO the persons
who caused them to be filed and sewers
criticism would be attached to the audi
tors office.
These papers have been kept in a large
pocket file in a place easy of access in the
auditors office, from which file any of
them may be lost or easily distracted. II
has been suggested to the present county
auditor Mr. Hannah, that when any such
papers are filed note of such filing should
be made in book kept especially for thai
purpose; that such book should be made
and kept in safe place In the auditors
office
MIR. Hannah has made up forms for a
book in which such filings can be noted
From the rude draft OF these forms we car
say that II will in our judgment, meet al
requirements.