The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1911-09-23

A SALTY REPORT
BY GRAND JURY
A New System and Audit
Of Books is Recon-
mended.
ROAD WORKING IS
A COMPLETE FAILURE
Some Men in Lincoln County Think
They Have d Right 10 Buy and
Sell Votes Says Jury.
September 21, 1911.

September 2l. 1911.
State of Mississippi,
Lincoln county.
To tie Honorable D. M. Miller,
Circuit Judge of the l4th Ju-
dicial District.
We, the grand jury. having been
empaaeled, sworn and charged to
inquire in, and for Lincoln county
at the September term of court
1911, beg leave to make this our
final report.
We have been in session IA days,
have examined BIG witnesses, have
returned Sc true bills. have ignor-
ed Ia cases and have referred 5
cases to the justices of the peace.
We have carefully inquired into
all violations of the law brought to
our attention. and acted on same to
the best of our ability.
We have examined the county
jail and find same in fairly good
shape. We have examined the
books of the county offices and find
same correct insofar as we are able
to ascertain, but owing to the lack
of experience and practical knowl-
edge of bookkeeping. we are una
BILE to say with certainty as to the
correctness of the books.
We recommend that the board of
supervisors, about the close of this
year. employ an expert accountant
to thoroughly and completely audit
the books of all county officers who
are charged with the duty of hand
ling the county's money. We
suggest and recommend that the
old officers be checked out and the
new officers who are to hold Office
for the next four years, checked in
by competent and expert account
ant. We also recommend that the
boa Of supervisors employ an ex-
pr dcSou6Iatit co fornnuiate sys-
Itematic plan for each and every
officer IN the county who handles
county funds to account to the
county for such funds. In this
connection. we recommend that the
board Of supervisors employ Chas.
j. Moore, an expert accountant, to
do this work, providing that his
services can be had at the same
price that any competent account
ant would charge. We notice that
Mr.. Moore has outlined a plan of
bookkeeping for the officers of the
city of Brookhaven. and we believe
that a similar plan could be gotten
up for the county officers. We be-
lieve it to be to the best interests of
the county, and we recommend that
the board of supervisors have the
books of the county officers audited
at least once in each year.
We have examined the county
farm and find same in good condi-
tion. 1t looks to be self-sustain-
ing; the convicts seem to be we'll
cared for, and the stock III good
condition. We believe that the
board OF supervisors have good
manager at present on the county
farm. He seems to be a good far
mer and a man who understands his
business. We desire to commend
Mr.. Williams, manager of the
county farm, as being the right
man in the right place. We
recommend that the sleeping
apartments for the coIored convlcts
be better ventilated.
We recommend that the board Of
supervisors provide a better place
for the grand jury to meet. In
this connection we would suggest
that the room provided for in the
lower story OF the jail for the
grand jury to sit be cleaned out and
prepared for the next grand jury.
We have had good deal of COM
plant abvut the public roads in
the county. We are Of the opin-
ion that the present system of
working the public roads is almost
"a failure. We do not believe that
q man without practical knowledge
|of road working is competent to
F.lnno khn rondc rF fho rottn%v m ~