The Greeley tribune., 1911-11-09


Office are passed on without criti.
cism. The county clerks office has
not been fully investigated, accord
ing to the report.
In the treasurer's office 1t IL
found that the excess fee account
goes to the county now and not to
the private account Of the treasurer
ss has been the case in the past.
Tho report concludes with the
suggestion that the Affairs of the
county should be transacted In
moro business-like manner.
PROFIT ON BRIDGES
| Incidentally, in recounting the
letting of bridge contracts to favored
contractors without advertising
them IS required by law. the report
says that 1t is apparent that 100 per
cent profit was made by the con-
tractor on the LaSalle bridge open
ed last spring and which was the
subject Of investigation and criti-
cism Of the taxpayers committee at
the time. This bridge cost In the
neighborhood Of @45, 900 and is said
to have cost about half that sum to
build.
The specific charges against the
commissioners are contained in one
count and the general allegation is
nalfeasance in Office. The charges
against Peterson include perjury in
that he certified that A. J. Warson
had appeared before him personally
as the claimant to warrant for
more than 5000 and testified before
the grand jury that Warson had not
appeared before him at all.
Greeley. Colo, Nov. .. 1911.
REPORT OF GRAND JURY
To the Honorable Judge OF the Dis
trict Court of the Eighth Judicial
District of the State of Colorado.
We. the Grand Jury of Weld
Colorado, duly empanelled
and sworn. hereby submit the fol.
lowing report:
FIRST: Road Overseers Of this
county, in many instances, render
accounts in n lump sum, no detailed
account being made; when detailed
accounts are rendered by overseers.
no place is specified where the work
was done: the bill upon being allow
ed is paid in full to the road over
seer. We urge and recommend that
each man employed by the several
road Overseers, make their own
voucher to the county and draw the
pay thereon, and specify the place
where they worked.
We find that many road Overseers
render a bill to the county for every
working day in each month, regard
less of weather conditions, and we
are OF the opinion there are many
days in the winter which make road
work impossible on account Of the
weather conditions.
SECOND: We find many bridge
jobs are let without being advertis-
ed. and without contracts, which has
resulted in outrageous profits to
some favored contractors. We find
that large bridge contracts are let
without getting estimates from COM
petent engineers as to the value Of
the work to he done. This resulted,
in the case OF the lAaSalle-Evans
bridge. in a profit of 100 per cent to
the contractor.
THIRD: The hooks in the county
commissioners Office are not COM
pIete or intelligent record Of the
business transacted by that office;
no account being kept with parties
who furnish services or goods to the
county. They should be kept so
that the debit and credit side OF all
transactions may he referred to cas-.
lily, as is done by all business houses.
FOURTH: 1t was the under.
standing of the members OF the
grand jury that the compensation OF
the county commissioners was $3.50
per day. or not to exceed $500 per
year. We find by the records, that
the amounts drawn are nearly ST.
10000 per year.
FIFTH: We also find they pay
bills In lump sums, to which there
has not been attached sufficient eyi.
dence Of Indebtedness, and in many
cases are not sworn to, and in sew.
eral instances the clerk OF the hoard
Of county commissioners has attach
ed his turat when claimant has not
appeared before him. This resulted
in vouchers being paid to parties
who had never been in Weld county
and had not made affidavit to their
vouchers.
SIXTH: There are times when
our jail contains a large number of
prisoners, and we recommend that
tho sheriff have power, when he con.
siders It necessary, to appoint guards
as . protection against q possible
Jail delivery.