The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-03-09
Report of Examiners of
Commissioners Report

To the Honorable, the Court of Com
mon Pleas OF Marion County, Ohio:
The undersigned, ari9oin.ed pursu
art to the provisions Of the General
Code of the stdte of Ohio, to exaimne
the report of tho county commission
ers Of Marion county. Ohio, both as
suoh and US the board OF turnpike di-
rea:ors, herewith respectfully report:
That an examination of said reports
and of the records from which they
are taken and made, convince us that
each and all of our county officials
have been and are earnestly endeavor-
ing TO give the people an honest, effl-
clent and economic administration Of
the public business.
The records of the county commits
sloners are In exceptionally neat pre-
else and satisfactory condition, kept i'm
manner which betokens most
painstaking eXactness, and constant
effort to secure easy access to each
and every transaction.
Considering the volume of the
county's business, II Is gratifying to
know that it Is transacted by COM
paratively small force OF employees
ana that there are no slneeures on the
county's payroll.
Doubtless there Is much TO he de-
sired before the ideal Is attained ana
without question many of the at
tempted Innovations, some forced by
statute and the cropping efforts OF
bureaus established thereunder, are
productive Of confusion and uncer-
tainty and greatly hamper an intel
ligent analysis Of the transactions in
volvcd thereby.
For instance, the turnpike directors
report which is prepared, as the un-
derslgned are informed, strictly in
pursuance Of the Instructions received
from the state bureau Of uniform ac-
counting, IS almost useless insofar as
any attempt to be guided by 1t is made
in analyzing the proceedings of said
board Of turnpike directors. and we
We're compelled practically or in very
large measure to disregard It and go
to the oiginal sources.
In this connection III may be well TO
call attention to the fact that too
great care con not be taken by the
county commissioners in securing
iiemzed bills for claims presented to
the board, There Is a strong tendency
on the part of, ana great temptation
to claimants to render bills meaning
much or little. smattering over a series
OF dates. on the assumption that de-
tails are fresh I'm the minds of all, and
thoroughly understood at the time by
the board, but which. though true.
when once the original transaction has
become misty or forgotten, or at any
time in the hands of third panties,
are entirely unintelligible.
Bills are sometimes presented COW
erng a number Of items, and on al.
lowance cut down, without accurate
designation as TO what portion OF the
bill Is dtsallowed
Honesty on the part Of officials and
claimants Is always to be presumed
but the record perpetuated, after ON
cial boards have dissolved and cred
itors have been paid and vanish, would
give a much clearer history, if all
bills showed item by item what Mas
where arl9lied and the
prices thereof,
For instance, a bill running into the
hundreds of dollars for bridge paint.
or for so many thousands of gallons
of some tar preparation TO .be used
ION various pixies is so vague and nm
certain that II Is impossible TO ACTUALLY
trace It, and tends to give rise To a
question as TO its correctness. There
would seem 90 be no reason why the
countys business can not be done in
every respect with as great minuteness