The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1912-11-01


To the Taxpayers of Beltrami Coun-
ty:
The undersigned has made but lit
tie stir in his position as candidate
for reelection to the Office of county
auditor, for several reasons Either
| have been good auditor or a poor
one. If the latter be the case
might as well save my time and mon
ey and get back to the woods" If
the former is the case, as l feel GER
tain it is, others must know it, and
it is not necessary for me to blow
my own horn.
I have worked faithfully for two
years in the service of the people and
have accomplished much that was
needed in the matter of systematizing
the Office, opening new records,
which should have been opened years
ago, bringing up the neglected back
work, and putting matters generally
in good shape for whomsoever might
succeed me in the office.
was under a great handicap when
l took the Office year ago last Jan
uary. | know nothing regarding the
affairs of the Office, and knowing
nothing, perhaps promised more than
l was able to fulfill. Had I been
lacking in nerve and business sys-
TEN, I would have feared to go go
beyond the limit of clerk hire allow
ed by law, and in so doing would
have placed a limit on the work to
be done.
Expecting, however, to pay out of
my own pocket for all extra clerk
hire, at once put an extra force at
work, supposing all back work could
be cleaned up in few months. For
tunately the legislature of 1911 pass
ed law giving the commissioners of
certain counties of small valuation,
the right to increase the ordinary
clerk hire of auditors to an amount
which might be necessary to accomp-
lish the work, subject to the approval
of the public examiner and the at
torney general. Owing to their abil-
ity to judge of the work, these two
gentlemen at once agreed, and the
board of commissioner have been
quick to realize the value of the work
done, thus granting the increase
readily
I have two deputies and two clerks,
all of experience and there is not a
lazy bone in any of them. They have
been willing to work nights, Sun
days and holidays and have needed
no driving at any time. have never
expected them to work unless I was
working with them.
The current work has largely in
creased in the last two years. More
tax certificates were Issued in 1911
than had been issued in all the pre-
vious years since the organization
of the county, and more were issued
in 1912 than for all years before in
cluding 1911. Each one of these GER
tifcates means more than ten times
the amount of work needed, if taxes
were paid up promptly, instead Of be-
ing allowed to go into judgment.
Regarding the policy of changing
auditors every two years, I can say
only this: I have been in the Office
for nearly two years and I find that
there are some things yet to learn.
A new auditor would require as much
time to learn the routine and then
probably give way to another in two
years. No first class business house
would think of doing such a thing.
Experience is what they want and
are willin to pay for.
The auditors Office is the last place
where change of head is beneficial
to the taxpayers. There are too
many matters in process at all times,
matters that require a week or
month to complete, and if changes
are made the system is broken and
chaos reigns once more.
J. L. GEORGE. ADV