The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-07-04
GOPHER POISON FUND
GROSSLY MISHANDLED
Report of State Examiner Denounces Criminal Handling of
Gopher Poison Money By Sunny Jim and Commissioners


consideration, we must severely
condemn the methods pursued in the
handling of this Gopher Extermina-
ton Fund. The creation of this fund
and delivering same into the hands of
the County Auditor to be disbursed
IN payment of claims contracted and
paid without the consent or know
ledge of the Board of County Com
missiOners, was a fragrant violation
of the law. No monies belonging to
the County can be lawfully disbursed
except upon a claim duly presented,
audied and approved by the Board of
County, Commissioners and in no in
stance has it any authority to apprO-
pirate any monies, for whatsoever
purpose, IN advance of the creation
Ot the obligation. We find that on
January 3rd, March 3rd, and Fehru-
ary 0Jh, 1918, total of $12,54S.0S
($9,500.00 from the General Fund
and $3,O48.08 from the Gopher FUND.-
was placed in the hands of the Coun:
ty Auditor for the purpose of ~pur-
chasing grain, chemical, supplies,
etc, for the mixing and distributing g
OF gopher poison and that no record
was made of this transaction other
than the issuance of these warrants.
1t is very evidents that all claims
against this fund were paid without
any supervision by your Board and
on the sole authority and judgment
of the Auditor. In addition to this
nE hn
from the sale of this poison, aggre-
eating $19,361.91, was deposited in
the bank to the credit of this fund
and at all times was under the indi-
vidual control of the auditor. This
money should at all times have been
in the hands of the County Treasur-
er, who is the authorized, bonded GUS
tOdian of all funds of the County, and
ali collection should have been depos-
tied with said Treasurer. All claims
against the County arising from the
gopher determination work should
have been paid by warrants drawn
against this fund from legally pre-
sented and approved claims, and
such warrants could only be- paid
through the Office of the County
Treasurer. The methods followed by
your Board in the creation and handl-
ing of this fund are subject to the
severest criticism.
In this connection we wish to quote
from the report of the examination
of your County, dated July Is, 1913
wherein we said:
''The matter of the ''Petty Cash
Fund.- was taken up with the Audi
tor and your Honorable Board in or
der that a better understanding
might exist as to the intents and
purposes of this fund. Our discus.
sion and agreement that the allow
ance for this fund should be $4,000
and to be used for the payment OF
postage stamps, express, transpOrta.
tiOn of poor, and freight bills OF
small amounts; and in no instance
is this allowance of 100000 to be ov-
erdrawn, and is to be used for nc
other purposes than as stipulated
above"
And also from our previous re-
port dated April 28, 1917, as follows
Your attention is called to Section
2O9, paragraph 6, of the Revised Po-
lltical Code, 1907, which reads as
follows:
The State Examiner, or MS
Assistant, after the examination
Of the affairs of any county Off
Ger, must make report of such
examination to the County Com
missioners, and to the County
Attorney of such county, within
thirty days after such examin-
alton, and if any violation OF
law or non-performance of duty
is found on the part of any
county officer, or Board, such Of
ficer or Board must be proceed
ed against by the County Attor-
ney Of the County, as provided
by law
BY carefully reading this report II
Will become apparent to you thai
there are many irregularities and IN
fractions of the law. We trust that
all county officials conform to tht
law in all of their official duties.
In addition to calling the attention
OF your Honorable Board to the sur
plus amount of money handled II
The Petty Cash, as quoted from oul
report for 1918, the matter was tax
en- up personally with your Boare
and the County Auditor, and we re
ceiVed assurance that this method
would be discontinued. This was mo-
done, Notwithstanding > the fact thai
the monies handled by the Auditor
was far in excess of the $4,000 pro
vided for this purpose.
At the time of making the exami
nation in 1913, it was impossible tt
check the Petty Cash Funds, a.
there We're no records kept of eth
er the authorized fund or the Gopher