The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-04-07

choicer appointments.
Finally, deputy Walker crooked
his finger, the board adjourned and
the members passed out, meekly,
submissively and without their faces
registering any individual desire or
opinion.
Mr.. Walker scuttled back to the
Old Spider and reported that the
weaving of a silky web for the next
meeting would be in order.
This is a fair sample of how bust
ness is conducted by a majority OF
the county commissioners and the
county auditors office.
J. O. Walker felt so jubilant over
the smooth way in which the "slate"
went through at the January meet
ing of the county commissioners that
he took a vacation and wrestled with
old John Barleycorn for two or three
weeks.
When Mr.. Walker went on that
memorable jamboree, he failed to
safely put away check in the sum
of s3O,OOO.00, which sum was a re-
mittance to st. Louis county from
| the state highway commission.
During the wrestle with John Bar
| leycorn, in which Mr.. Walkers
shoulders hit the mat more times
than did those of foxy old Barley
corn, this $50, 100000 check was lost,
hypothecated, sequestered-no one
seems to be real certain, one way or
another. Anyway, when the recre-
ant deputy came to his senses, the
check was gone.
There was some scurrylng to and
fro on that floor of the courthouse
and it required two or three weeks
of tile and anxiety to satisfy ST..
Paul that the check really was lost
and to get duplicate issued.
That is another sample of how
| public business is handled in the
county auditors office.
If all public officials sold bends in
, the way that the commissioners of
st. Louis County sold a batch in
1915, under the guidance of Auditor
Halden, saltwater probably would
be swamped with guilty guests.
Early in 1915, st. Louis county
expected to make a loan from. the
state school fund on $4,000 worth
of bonds authorized for the construc-
ton of rural highway No. 4. For
some reason, the loan fell through,
which gave Auditor Halden and one
of his bosom friends chance to
turn a profitable trick in high f.
nance.
The first step in a proceeding that
must have been illegal, was formal
call for a special meeting of the
board of county commissioners, &C
companied by a personal letter to
the commissioners as follows, viz:
DULUTH, MIMI, MAY p, 1915.
Dear Sir:
Enclosed herewith please find notice
of Special Meeting of the County
Board called for 1870 p. M, Monday,
May oath, to issue bonds to amount
of $150,0OO.O0 to defray cost of con-
struction of State rural highway No.
nj this country. This meeting is very
important and it is highly desirable
| that there be full attendance of the
!
| being here promptly at the hour
stated, you will be able to go home on
the afternoon train if you so wish.
Respectfully yours,
O. HALDEN, COUNTY AUDITOR.
By j. o. Walker, deputy.
May "a, 1915, rolled around and
the commissioners were on hand at
1870 D. m. Properly worded resolu-
lions were passed, authorizing the
sale and issue of the road improve
ment bonds. A proposition was read
from Fred B. Myers in which he Of
fered to act as fiscal agent for sale
of the bonds in consideration OF a
commission of 2 per cent, or a sum
of 100000. A resolution was
passed accepting Mr.. Myers kind
offer.
Next a communication was read in
which Mr.. Myers notified the COM
missioners that he had secured an
offer of par and accrued interest
| from Messrs. Standwood, Taylor &
| Company of Chicago. The offer was
accepted and proper resolutions were
passed to close the deal, including
/ one authorizing the payment OF a
commission of $4,000 to Mr.. Myers.
What was wrong about all that?
asks some citizen.
Under the law, notice of at least
ten days is required in calling spe-
cial meeting of the county commits
sioners. In this case, there was a
notice of only three days, from Fri
day, May 81, to Monday, May "a.
Under the law, a sale of county
bonds must be legally advertised in
a proper publication at least ten
days before a meeting at which they
can be legally sold. There are exact
provisions as to sealing the bids, en-
closing certified checks to certain
| percentage, etc., etc. In this case
there were no legal advertisements,
no sealed bids and no certified
checks to establish responsibility.
At this same meeting, Mr.. Myers
commission in the sum of $4,000 was
allowed and ordered paid. Under
the law, no bills can be passed at a
special meeting of the board.
| Under the law, too, a warrant for
a claim that has been allowed cannot
be issued until fifteen days there
after. 1t probably will not be denied
that county warrant No. 216,853,