The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-01-18
MANY INACCURACIES FOUND
Auditor Declares Offices Are in Salts
factory Condition, but Shows Small
Double Payments of Bills and Fail
ures to Collect Many Fees.

morning filed with the Kenosha coun-
ty board the first annual audit of the
books of the officials of Kenosha county
and the audit is interesting in that it
shows only Small number of errors
on the part of the officials It presents
to the board balance sheet of eyerv
department Of the county government
up to the close Of 1911, and makes
many suggestions Of changes in method
which will result in the books Of the
various offices being kept in even bet
ter shape in the future. There were
no sensational disclosures as are COM
mon in such audits and, in fact, the
auditor declared that the records of the
county were found in a "most salts
factory condition.
One of the most pertinent discus
sions brought up by the report of the
auditor was the question of fees earned
by the sheriff and the deputies Of this
official. These have never been paid
into the county treasury and the audi
tor holds that under the Wisconsin law
and under the resolutions adopted by
the county board the office of sheriff.
is salary office and that the fees
should be turned over to the county.
The auditor admits that it will be i'm
possible for the board at any time to
get complete list Of these fees, but
he insists that it would be possible TO
trace down many fees and have them
COLLECTED by the county. No sheriff has
ever turned over the fees and it is not
expected that the present sheriff will
take such action, but the matter will
probably be one for consideration by
the board at the time the salaries are
arranged again. Auditor Winke found
some loose work on the part of commit
tees of the board and the report shows
that bills Of the police department for
making trips for prisoners were in
some cases paid twice, total claim
of these doubly paid accounts being
$65.16. IT showed that printing bill
amounting to $22 had twice been paid
by the county and that the company to
which it was paid called the attention
of the clerk to this fact, the audit
showed that the bills of the county cor
oner had been allowed at more than
provided for by law and that mileage
had been allowed the official when the
county had paid the bill for transpor-
tation. 1T showed that in some Justice
courts appraisers fees had been allow
ed as many as three times and that the
justice himself had been doubly paid for
small services. It showed that the
county treasurer had turned over to
the state treasurer fines to the amount
of $22O.9S, which should be retained
by the county, and suggested that the
treasurer take this amount from his
next settlement with the state officials.
Ill SHOWSu Judi oAcIC Woo du GIIOT OF
more than $50 in favor Of the city in
the settlement of the city and county
treasurers for last year. 1t showed that
the interest on bail placed with clerks
of the courts had been retained by
them and that no accounting Of fees
had been made by the registrar in pro-
bate.
The report gives a perfectly clean
bill to the county clerk, clerk of the
circuit court and the register of
deeds and finds that the accounts of
these officials are in excellent condi-
ton.
The shortcomings discovered by the
auditor are for the most part points
over which there is a disagreement as
to the right of officials to retain funds
and there is absolutely no intimation
Of fraud in any part of the report. The
board was greatly pleased with the
showing Of the condition Of the rec
ords of the county.