Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1913-01-30

Will uu UOUUt Uc IIlUIc oI lcsS !utSt I
ested in. We refer to that part
which reads as follows:
f. B. Irvine. register OF
deeds. quarterly salary . $500 GO
Lucy E. Shier. deputy regis
ter of deeds, quarterly
salary $50 60
Ailce NJ. Henderson. clerk,
register of deeds office. 90 90
Zelda Hageman. clerk. regis
ter of deeds office. .. Sc 90
Mrs. Glen f. Mickle. clerk,
register of deeds office. 9 0o
At least three of the above. be-
sides the register of deeds himself
were employed i'm the Office at one
time during the past quarter. De
spite the fact that the law says that
clerk-hire except such is provided
for according to law shall only be
paid by the county when allowed by
resolution of the commissioners and
such resolutions had previously
not been made.
There is something peculiarly sug-
gestive in the fact that this sudden
need for unlimited assistance i'm the
register of deeds office came at a
date following the recent election
when the same would be unable to
affect the votes of any Of The tax
payers. We understand that the
register of deeds excuses himself for
hiring extra clerks otherwise than
according to law on the grounds that
there happened to be an exception
ally large amount of work in the
office. Nevertheless. it remains
that this sudden need of help fol-
lowed closely on the reelection of
the officer when he no longer needed
to fear the voting taxpayer. And if
there was such a tremendous work
in the office as to require all this
help. isn't it strange that the regis
ter Of deeds still found time to de-
vote during the period to the build
ing and personal supervision of the
building If his new residence in Lin
ton. The question simply resolves
itself into the fact that when the
county register of deeds desires to
build houses, the taxpayers must
foot the bills for extra clerk-hire to
do the work of his office while he is
absent.
Elsewhere in this issue we have
called attention to the unfair man
ner in which the transactions Of the
county board are reported to the
people in the minutes. Here again
the same thing applies. At the
meeting at which the above bills
were allowed the states attorney
objected strenuously to the allowing
OF same on the grounds that they
were unlawful. Mr.. Reader, we ask
you to peruse the minutes from start
to finish and see if there is one line
in them that refers to such objec-
lions by the states attorney. Ger
tainly not. II was not the intention
to have such matters get before the
reading public if the same could be
nepled.
Mr.. Lynn. in another part of this
issue. informs our readers of the law
in the matter of the commissioners
allowing bills for unauthorized
clerk-hire. 1t is up to the taxpay-
ers to make test case of this TO
show definitely that county affairs
have got to be transacted strictly
according to law instead of allow
ing the same to be dore according
to the sweet will of those who hap.
pen to have gained the positions of
trust which they secured at the
hands of the voters.
It is the opinion Of the Record that
Mr.. lrvine's action in presenting
bills for wholesale clerk-hire are ex-
planned in the fact that he has al
ready "cinched' his second term
by the skin of his teeth and he
realizes full we'll that he will never
again be given an office at the hands
OF the people. His knowledge along
that line may be easily gained from
the last election when through his
Vaccinations in the Democratic pri-
mary Tom O'Brien was made to be
his opponent, instead of Chris. Bieb-
er. Irvine had feared the opposition
of Bieber and had considered
U Brien's candidacy joke. The
vote at election opened his eyes with
a sudden jolt, however, and nc
doubt convinced him beyond reason.
able doubt that he could expect
nothing further at the hands Of the
people. Hence, his determination
] to get all the clerks he could ant
get all he could out Ut his last tern
Of Office.
| At the meeting of the county CON
: missioners last week the member
of that body came to final COZ
{ clusion that they would have to ODE