The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-04-21
versaries seem to think it was
many more times.

SOAOoA4OS oOO" W Cu1uh IL WdS
many more times.
Mr.. Kauppi admitted that Col.
Hank johnson was paid $3.50 for
finding that gravel bed near
Floodwood. He said that Mr.. Coe
and his assistant engineers were
along that road for a year and
failed to find any gravel. If not
for this discovery by Col. John
son it would have been neces-
sary to freight in gravel by train
from Carlton, thereby making
that section of the Duluth-St.
Vincent road cost the county and
state $4,000 or $4,000 more
than it did. Mr.. Kauppi claims
that $1,000, instead Of $3.50,
would have been cheap for the
discovery, under the circum-
stances.
AS to Col. Austin j. Meagher,
Of Ftloodwood, who has been
highly critical of that gravel
deal, Mr.. Kauppi dismisses his
structures with wave Of the
hand and a remark to the effect
that Col. Meagher owns a team
and a yellow dog but that his
Importance goes no farther.
The Rip-saw takes pleasure in
printing Mr.. Kauppi's personal
explanations and begs to extend
best wishes for his long life and
prosperity.
There was a report early in
the week that Mr.. Kauppi had
been appointed assistant to road
engineer Action by the county
commissioners at a salary Of 1925
a month. When asked about it,
Mr.. Kauppi said that he had
heard nothing Of the kind but
if any such good luck had been
thrown his way, he would well
come it.
The taxpayers who really foot
the bills Of St. Louis county, are
getting very tired Of paying out
salaries for which no service is
rendered.
: Deputy auditor J. O. Walker
now and then takes anywhere
from one to- three weeks for
rest and recreation. So far as
mortal man ever has heard, not
a penny ever has been deducted
from his concurrent salaries, reg
ularly drawn from the county
treasury.
Senator Charles E. Adams has
been serving as state senator a
few months every session Of the
legislature but so far as anyone
can tell, not a single penny has
been deducted from his salary as
special county attorney. $3.50 a
month is quite sum to hand
over for nothing.
In contrast with that, assistant
county attorney Richard Funck
has been doing all kinds Of
drudgery for the miserable little
salary Of $1O0 a month, only
81, 200 a year. He has worked
like a plow horse, supported a
family and done his work faith
fully and efficiently. There is
general rejoicing that the legis-
lature has made it possible to in
crease Mr.. Funck's salary to
81, 800 a year.
Along with that, the plain,
every day, common people feel
that a law should have been
passed making it felony to
take a salary for time spent away
from the office, on other busi-
ness and for which no considera-
ton has been given, except bear
ing the official title.
The taxpayers long ago ceased
to expect county auditor Halden
to be around the courthouse very
often or to give any steady, con-
tinuous, direct service for his
handsome salary. OF course
auditor Halden has a bushel OF
excuses as to his absence from
his office, the courthouse or the
city, but most of them are taken
with a grain Of salt.
If the time he has spent In St.
Paul this winter on nonsense,
foolishness or personal business,
but not in the actual, direct
service of the public as an auditor
who audits, his salary would not
fill the watch pocket in the waist
band of his creased trousers. St..
Do,1 hoe hoon his hanpOut when