The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-11-16

ent time has not been located. The com
| mittee also finds that two large iron safe.
and quantities Of junk and bridge lumber
all the property Of Darke county, was dis
posed OF during the last year, and upon ex
animation OF the books OF the county treas
urer no entry can be found where any
money was paid IN as consideration tor the
same.
Your Committee has been handicapped by
not being able TO locate the bridges aud
could get no assistance from the tommis.
SiOners' clerk, who served during the veal
cove. td by his Tepoif Your Committee
has fnund what appears 10 pe duplicate
vouchers. and the Geek. Mr. r h. Lott
cuulu hnd no record OF certain vouchers
which called for a CONT act, Snd he admit
tel that trey lOOkeu ike du plicateS. Not
being able 10 lOci All the bridges, your
Committee is unable to ascertain to what
extent th's practice was employed. lour
Committee Is OF the opinion from evil
dence shown and from the record, that
labor and materai was paid for that was
never FURNISHED. This principally in paint
ing and repairing bridges. Your Commit
Tee could specify vouchers and name ETidg-
eS wheIe this irTeguia'ily was practiced,
but for good reasons, aud anticITating aud
DelleVing that a further Investigation Will
be made, we refrain from mentioning
names and bridges. Bills were allowed and
paid, and evidence for the delivery of sewer
pipe was introduced before tniS Committee
10 the effect Jhat such sewer pipe Was never
delivered or placed, The Committee finds
that most extIav '.ance has been DraCticeu
IN he repair Dt bridges and painting the
same. The evidence shows that material
botn paint and bridge lumber has been
paid FOR that was new furnished the coun
ty, or If the same was furnished, il was used
by the cOu tractors and psid Tor the second
time. We think this came about by the
carelessness Of the Commissioners not maxi
ing proper inspection, or knowingly per-
mtttinP such practices.
Your Committee fiuds that the Commits
slOnels have paid for 29S,GB feet OF lumber,
tRE.ar - l,s.
was purchased by the Con mI-siOuers and
lSb.9i5 feet was furnished by the contractors.
The vouchers presented 10" payment for Ie-
pairs are punched in many iustaLcrs 20
that the Committee was obliged TO figure
out labor ana approx mate material, but in
No instance has this Com Inittee figured the
material account closely but has always
figured the same literally. And think If
any thing, Slightly III excess Of the 2gS 6l3
feet has ueen paid for, and mucu Of IhIs
Ia mbt was unht for repair purposes and iu
places was not as good as the old mater
Ia. Or lhe Ill ,G6o teet paid Tor by the COun-
ty. the Committee is unable to account for
the use Of more than 2 $50 feet. And upon
in VestigatIOn they fiud not to exceed 800
feet n hand. Your Committee Is also in
possession OF evidence that contractors pre-.
sented bills for lumber placed on hridge>
which was never inrnisned, and that the
same were allowed and ~ rtitled 10 the Aud
itOr for payment, and warrants issued for
the same ON the same basis lhat painting
contracts had been executed. Many gallons
Of oil have been Gu .Iged ana paid for that
was never furnished. The evidence shows
that bridges should be painted for thIriy
cents per foot or lie S, and the uniform price
paid was sixty cents to eightyeight cents
per foot, only seven bridges having been
painted for less than SiXtS cents, aud these
We re under the direction of Commissioner
d. +. AmspmEh. Your Committee calls at
Centiou to the fact That lighting bills OF the |
1resnville Electric Lisht aud Power Com
pany and The Greenvilte Gas Company a.
mount tn 81 lUD and = think tl1t
greater economy should be exercised. An
arc light has been Installed at he rear gate
Df the Court House that will add $500 per
year more. We Think the cost OF this light
should not be borne Icy Darke (Ounty, aud
that the contract fOr the same should he
cancelled. The Cor mittee further finds
in at in the PrOnate Court Room there are
fourteen lights and no one of SAID lights has
an individual shut of. Hud when one fight
IS t1rued on they Il must burn to their fun |
capacity. Unless he sun Is Ghtuing bright |
he Prob tie Court Rom is useless for WORK
or which IL was IUI .ndei, without the use
It artificial light. We think n system OF
swift hes would assist in ecouOu iZing in |
his particular. Your COMMITTEE IecOm
nenuS That The present Board nf county
make an effort 10 eConomiZe
~ use OF light.
Y Jur Comm .ttee finds that large and ex.
raVAg gant expenditures have been made Tor
Deen constructed without any idea Of econ.
)my, bills to the amount of S6522l having |
Ieen paid during the year, which includes |
0i and - hours l. Dor for placing the same /
1t Thirty i've cents per hour. and we find the |
Iame extravaganza existed in fOImer years
II the opinion of this Committee no furtbe /
* expenditures will be neHoed in This connec-
ion for years. We think there has been /
great eShavagAnce on the part of the Com /
nisSlonerS in buying furniture, and much /
II it is useless and exoI bitant prices were i
paid for same. The report of the Commits /
ionefS shows the allowance of a bill for /
2530 to The Gallon Iron Works Company L
or one B tkeT ST. am Road Roller and other
q chinery. This bill was never p id as an
n Jun ,tiOn suit b the Prosecuting Attorney /
las h eld II up. Your Committee is of the /
opinion that ne Oilins of roads, while but /
title h IS been done, ShOdld be discontinued /
{ the same can not be done on much more |
basis or paiu for by the adj accent |
p nd owners The telephone toll bill should i
Ie more closely looked after and parties i
;aE ing from a distance Tor infOl nation
hould pay the M esSageS Doth ways and no
&c Dinme that the Commissioners make |
uch an order for the benefit of the various
;OunIy OHtctals and strlctty adhere to the /
,IdeF. No letters of inquiry hould be ans.
Ver ed unless return postage is enclosed and /
lie various officials should not be allowed |
postage except for official business. The /
Treasurer of the County should not be al
owed postage for leturn OF tax receipts. All |
payment of TAX by mail should be accom-.
Ianit d by return postage if parties desire
'eceiptS returned, and notice should be so
JdI6u OH all IdA Dl'lSs S6CIlOu ZIU1, General
code. provides that the commissioners may
employ q Clerk and assistants where 1t is |
lecessa' for the Clerk to devote his entire Il
line. The Committee finds that the Clerk /
IF the Commissioners has been drawing a
salary of $1,000 per month, and can find
where he performed no duty except keep
he minutes of the Board meetings. ! he i
congratulateS the present Audi
or, j ohm l.. Morgan, and the present Board /
)f Commissioners for dispensing with the |
IerVice of the Commissioners Clerk and |
,hink 1t very c0mmendaDle on the part of /
he Auditor in performing the services of /
Clerk OF the Board without extra compen.
;atiOn. We think this Will be the means of |
detecting duplicate Voucners, should any
1e presented for payment; and 1t appeals to
yhiS Corlmtttee as being good business me-
ihOds tor the county Auditor to be cIolely
allied with the Commissioners, so that he
may keep fully advised of each act that
passes through the Commissioners Office;
and Section 24U9, General Code. should be
repea ed or amended SO thai the Auditor
shall perform the duties of Clerk of the
Board of County Commissioners in person
or by first deputy. Your Committee thinks
there are transacIionS of q shady character
revealed by this examin alton, and for good
reasons not to be mentioned In this report.
Tne Prosecuting Atlorn ey has been advised
and is familiar with these transactions, and
they should be looked after. And iii mon
eys wrongfully PAID out should be returned
to the County to the credit Of the proper
fund. Your Committee finds that most of
been attended to In careless and unbusi
ness. like manner. The vouchers and con
tracts are made up in form without being
properly itemized. as required by law. Ma
ny of the contracts are without date, and
simply say "for labor and material for
wh Ich the Board agrees to pay $--."
NO specifications and no plans.
These contracts were In most instances
made up by the Commissioners Clerk, and
he says by direction of the commissioners
We find in some instances that these con-
tracts were made up and approved by the
Comm issioners. and then given to some one
to go out and find a person who wonld per.
init the use OF his name, and the contract
signed by person with whom The Com mis-
sionerS never had any conversation, then
the same would be returned to the CommlS.
sioners and pIacf d on the IL inutes, AID in
due time the supposed contractor or ''gO be-
tween" would be notified that his money
was ready for him. He would go 10 the Au-
ditorS office, without having any knoWl
edge as to whether the labor and material
was furnished, and find bill certified from