Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1916-05-15
FOLLOWING THE LAW.

.
Powers Of public officials are always
specifically defined by law. They
have no proper powers outside of it.
When public business is let go make
shife. without regard to legal modes
and restraints, efficient and econom-
ical government is impossible. The
bars are let down for all sorts Of
waste and corruption.
Take this specific instance:
The law makes it the duty of the
county treasurer to collect interest
from the banks on daily balances. 1t
gives him no option. He must col
lect interest on the full amount
shown by his ledger.
The county court has the power to
make certain proper rebates in con-
nection with taxes and other county
business. The law requires that it be
done in open court, and due record
be made OF it and proper warrants
issued on the county treasurer for the
amount. Thereupon the county treas
urer pays the warrant thus issued.
Under Cronemiller's administra-
tion of the county treasurer's office
among other banks the Jackson
County Bank has a large county de-
posit. The law required that the
banks pay two per cent on daily bal
ances. One item of $4,000 was on
deposit in that bank from April l,
1914, until January, 1918, upon
which Mr.. Cronemiller failed to col
lect the interest as required by law.
The interest charge for these months
amounted to s525. 1t is stated at
the treasurer's office that the matter
was called to the attention OF the
expert accountant (who, by the way,
was employed by the county court
on a guaranty, we understand, to
audit the books entirely to the salts
faction of the said COURT, but he
failed to take any cognizance Of this
shortage in his report. Later, Mrs.
Blakeley, now deputy county treas
urer and candidate for nomination
on the republican ticket on May 19
for county treasurer, came out with
statement of the shortage, claim
ing that Mr.. Cronemiller had violated
the law in not collecting the inter
est. Mr.. Cronemiller replied to the
charge by claiming that the county
court had ordered him not to collect
the interest on that sum from the
Jackson County Bank because the
court had made arrangements with
the bank to make loan of that sum
to certain prospective contractors
with the county.
The records of the court, it ap-
pears, show no such order, and if the
order was made, as claimed by Crone-
miller, it must have been an offhand |
verbal order and not in conformity |
with law.
On April 22 the Jackson County
Bank deposited check with County |
Treasurer Colvig, showing conclu-
sively that the amount was justly
due the county. Evidently, had it |
not been for the vigilance of Mrs.
Blakeley, the county would have lost
that amount because of the disregard
of law by Treasurer Cronemiller and
the county court. The law did not
allow of Cronemiller failing to col
lect the interest, nor of the county
court issuing such verbal orders,
without record, for the transaction.
Whatever might have been the mo-
tive for the transaction, the law was
violated. 1t is dangerous for the peo-
pie to wink at such disregard of the |
aw by public servants. County Of
Iicers should be required to transact |
county business according to the let
.er Of the law, and when they fail to |
10 that 1t is good policy to retire
hem.
When business is allowed to be |
transacted by whim, when verbal or
lers are allowed to take the place OF |
regular legal court orders, and no
-ecord made of them, to what limit
night designing officials go before
he error is detected?
County officers who persist in 60
ng outside Of the law in transacting
4 ~