Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-11-14

the board and the opinion OF a clerk |
from Santa Re will not be given am |
weight by the board.
The same may be said ~ to the !
auditors criticism Of the board for
paying Tor telephones for the three
commissioners u was the Judgment
of tho board that the public business
OF Eddy county required that all its
Officers be- IN communication with
each other and with the public. I'D
dy county has an area exceeding g.
GOO square miles. and the commission
ers. 8s we'll as other county Officers
have public business Co transact with
persons throughout the county which
can hc more conveniently ana eco
uomirauy done over the telephone
than by correspondence or by per
sonal trips
While the auditor could properly
call attention To- any errors or delays
no the business OF the county clerks
office. we respectfully submit that
the auditors personal insult TO that
officer D. wholly OUT or place In his
report. Mr. OQulnn was unani-
mously reelected to his office by the
voters Of Eddy county.
This IL In keeping with other slurs
ana Institutions scattered through
this report. which plainly Indicate
that it was not prepared IN fairness.
and Ca state facts only. bus was drawn
up and published In q spirit u hos
uluy and unimosity.
Tho commissioners are accused of
drawing their SALARY with "uulnillng
I regularity" as o. this constituted q
1 hclnuus crime. We are advised ana
suppose that AN state officers draw
their respective salaries with "unfail-
ing regularity" No salary or allow
arCc whatever has been paid Ia any
| county officer except with the adj
vice, and upon the opinion ~ the dis
/ trlct attorney, nor have the commits
| sioncrs given themselves the least
preference la paying salaries.
! These salaries and allowances were
discussed with MIR Howell Earnest az
"a meeting of the beard at Carlsbad,
juno. 1913 and were approved boy him
! without eNCcptiuu.
The auditor states that the amount
81 fees drawn by the constable of the
!
greatly i'm excess of the earning ca
! pacity of his official position" We
| submit that his opinion ON this mat
ter g. worthless, " hc found that
the constable has presented any IL
legal bills he should $50 state Hpoclfy-
ing tho claim and amount; II he ala
not find ans illegal claims hc should
not insiuuatc that tho constant" had
collected moro than he was entitled
Ito An OF these bills were properly
litemigcd oud the amounts paid were
Iths amounts legally allowed for the
rcrvicrs rendered the statements
made boz tho auditors report 10 the
looutrory Notwithstanding
AS 60 the payment Of bills out OF
The court house and iaii fund, the au-
ldit0r does not state that amy of these
lb.us were not legal claims against
EDDY county but merely objects ga
tho fund out OF which they were paid.
ITho mlNnimm iclN for general
l,ouuty expenses. and 90 hus boon the
IruuDm here and we believe in other
lcountios. Co. nee the court house and
JAN fund iu aid of the general fund
i'm, muNimum of mills was fixed
lly statute on basis of fun valua
iou, now that property Is asscssed
lat onc-third valuation this maxi
lmum levy amounts 90 only iC6 mills
ION tho actual valuation, which is IN
lnuficicnt 90 run the county.
! We are accused of spending money
out of this fund 10 make falls,
lshowing of economy Co tho taxpayers
such was never our intention, and
thp churga o. absurd as the cxpcus,
Ca he taxpayers rs exactly the same
whether the cuuntys bills are paid
cut of one fund, or two.
Az 90 economy the county lovlo.
show that we have consistently roduc.
lod the county tax rate. whereas. IN,
state has steadily increased its le.
vics Notwithstanding the greatly ina
creased valuation throughout IA
stnte
| Now, governor. II is known To you
that this audit Of Eddy county wa'
requested by the commissioners
showing our good faith In the matter
We went go FAR as 90 offer 10 pas
out of the county funds "a part ~ th'
expense of this work. which we hay,
done We believed mat the travel
ng auditor should assist che count,
Iorucers in installing his now system.
of record keeping ana accounting, AN,
that o. was tho duty ~ The state ~
floors 10 cooperate with the county
in these muttera We have given IN