The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-05-05
STATE AUDITORS
SPECIAL REPORT
Ordered Published by Cir
cult Judge Wills.

1t will be remembered that at the
spring term of the circuit court last
month the grand jury in its present
ment recommended that the report of
the special audit of the books and ac-
counts of the various county officers
be ordered published, and Judge Wills,
in conformity to the recommendations
OF the jury ordered County Clerk
Hutchinson to procure a copy and
have it published.
The report arrived yesterday, and
was sent to the Times Herald as Of
ficial paper of the county for publ
cation. The lateness of it's arrival
made it impossible for The News also
to give the full report.
1t is sufficient to say that the re-
port finds that the books and records
of the clerk, the sheriff, the tax COL
lector, county treasurer, superintend-
ent of public instruction are all correct
and given clear bill
In the case of the County Judge
there is difference of some $40 in
fees in dispute, and which the auditor
claims should be turned over to the
county, but Judge Haskell, who comes
pretty near knowing the law rs we'll
as the auditor, refuses to pay the
amount over, stating "that his acts
in binding over the various parties
were judicial determinations in the in
terest of the public and should be paid
for"
In the case of Justice J. E. Marshall,
there is also demand on the part
the auditor for the return of fees. Fc
He finds that it is the usual custom
of this officer in cases where a num-
ber of parties are arrested on the
same date for such offenses as gam
bling and train riding to try each in
dividual case separately. This GUS
tom violates no law within my knowl-
edge, but the costs to be paid by the
county would be decreased by making
one case against a group of offenders
when the parties are all arrested at
one time and guilty Of the same Of
fense. There is some other criticism
of Judge Marshall's system, with re-
quest that he return to the county GER
tain excess fees, but this request
Judge Marshall refuses on the ground
that he felt that he was entitled to
them.
In the case of the county commits
sioners it was found that they had
drawn during 1915 more than the 5000
per annum which they are allowed by
law. This was pointed out by the au-
ditor to have been regularly drawn as
per diem pay, but as the statue pro-
hibits county commissioners in coun-
ties of less than 10000 inhabitants to
draw more than total of 5000, there
was an excess, which the commission
ers have returned as follows:
D. P. Hancock, $81; w. C. Alvers,
$6S.25; E. B. Perry, $50; T. M. Wal
dron, Sc; c. E. Rowton proportion
ately) SO. 1t was pointed out also
that the board had sat many days as
drainage commissioners, which ac-
counted for the excess time.
In the case of Treasurer J. E. Ed
monson there is a lost check to ac-
count for. His records show that
check for 1.50 was probably received
from the late J. L. Burton for justice
court fines. Judge Burton's letter
enclosing check is on file, also Mr.. Ed
monson's receipt made out and signed
but never delivered But there is no
evidence that the check was ever cash
ed. The check was never accounted
for and demand has been made on
Mr.. Edmonson for the amount. which
he, nor any ore else ever drew.