The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-03-26
SNYDER, DRAIN CON-
MISSIONER REFUSES
TO VACATE
GOVERNOR SLEEPER HAS BEEN
ASKED TO REMOVE OFFICIAL
FROM COUNTY OFFICE.

Supervisor w. b. Travis returned
Friday afternoon from Ionia, where
he had been for the day acting on the
committee which the board of super
visors had appointed to confer with
County Drain Commissioner Henry p.
Snyder over scme Irregularities which
had come to light in the reports of
accounts which he had filed in con-
nection with the work of his office.
The other members Of the committee
were Supervisors Clyde Stout Of
Ronald and G. /. Goodwin of Port
land. M
Snyder, through his attorney, re-
fused to appear before the committee
and answer to any of the charges
which they have brought against him,
claiming that in case he did so, that it
would be taken as a veritable ac-
acknowledgement of guilt on his part
and he gave out the information that
If the county wanted him removed
from office that it would have to in
stitute proceedings and fight to get
him out. The matter has claimed
the attention of the investigating COM
mittee for some time past and they
have made every effort to get Mr..
Snyder's accounts Strengthened out
and from the start, they claim that
they have been met with nothing but
defiant attitude on the part of the
drain commissioner. who to all ap-
pearances looks to have been an Of
ficial in name only and only about
long enough to draw his salary and
expense accounts, which the commit
teemen claim were padded so that
Snyder has perhaps got between
$400 and $500 of the county's money
which he had not ought to have.
Prosecuting Attorney j. Clyde
Watt has acted as the legal advisor
of the committee of supervisors and
when the meeting of Friday was
without results and no Snyder showed
up, they filed specific charges showing
inefficiency in office, padded accounts
and other Irregularities and asking
that he be removed from office. The
charges are complete in that every
detail of the work which Snyder has
performed during the past two years
or more is covered and the governor
will undoubtedly act at once and re-
move him. unless Snyder gets busy
and fights for the retention of the
position. In either event it is quite
likely that a criminal charge will be
brought against him by the county
which will be for the purpose of re-
covering the money which Snyder is
alleged to have illegally drawn from
the county through false reports,
padded accounts and the like.
Investigations which have been car
ried on by the committeeman reveal
the fact that on many occasions when
Snyder claimed to have been out of
the county at some joint meeting with
the drain commissioner of another
county, that he was really in no way
connected with county affairs at the
time and it is rumored that money
which he charged up to the county on
these trips was spent on having a
good time with friends of the fair sex
who lived in the various cities where
he visited
Supervisor Travis told a reporter
for the Banner-News that the COM
mittee would have been glad to have
quietly settled the matter with Mr..
Snyder, in which event it would have
been matter cf only about S400 or
so, but that in case he fights the
charges preferred against him, that
it will cost him great deal more.