Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1921-06-08

sduarely before the county court. i
Is pertinent to state that the statutes
read that no county or state officia
other than the treasurer is eriminall,
liable for the loss Of the trsasurera
funds, unless It can be shown tina,
such official is party to an illegal
act, which results in q loss,
County Court Exorerated
1t is the opinion OF this jury that
produced to show liability on the part
of any county official, but we do
know that monthly statements from
the banks holding treasurer's de-
posits, setting forth the daily bal
ances and interest thereon were a
part OF the papers turned over to the
county clerk by the treasurer and
filed without presenting them to the
county court for review.
The auditors report for 1919
wherein the deposits in the Bank of
Jacksonville showed about $4,000
on December 81, 1919, was accepted,
and filed by the county
court June 2, 1890.
This jury is of the opinion that
the annual audit should be ordered
by and made to the grand jury, and
then made public. While all rec
ords are accessible to grand jury,
the examination of the audit should
be specifically part OF their duties
and II made to them, it would be-
come necessary to accomplish this.
County Government Faulty.
1t is the opinio nof this jury that
the present method of county gov
ernment Is faulty. AS the county Of
ficials are elective, there seems to be
no authority to remedy possible
lack of coordination between Off
cials. Irregular action upon the
part of one official cannot be cor
rected by another. Just why county
government Is so organized when a
city, state and the nation have au-
thoritive heads is possibly explain
able, but to this jury the question is
unanswered. Whether the county
court should be made responsible for
the lawful and businesslike conduct
of the country's affairs, or whether
a single head should be entrusted
with this duty, Is matter of opin-
ion.
Under the present laws, the only
method Of procedure against an Of
Tending official seems to be by
grand jury action, which is both
uncertain Of prompt action and de-
pendent upon the official being re.
ported to the jury. At the best, a
grand jury can only investigate, rec
ommend and report their findings,
to public opinion to compel
correction. Criminal acts are OF
course, a matter of the prosecuting
attorney and the grand jury. but by
wrong doing and, unbusi-
nesslike methods before they lead
10 criminal acts, would save the .ex-
treme penalty to the individual and
the public. The Bank of Jackson
Vile is the best evidence Of this
point, for even II the treasuter's
over-deposits in that bank had been
detected by another county officer,
he law provided no possible method
for stopping further deposits and
correction of the error.
1t is the hope of this jury chat
'ome organized body of representa-
i've citizens will interest themselves
n an attempt to recast the entire
natter of county government by
legislative action.
Pending such action, we believe 1t
iesirable that the grand jury be
lsed by the county officials as
clearing house for investigation and
where matters need at
ention beyond the powers of the
county officials; and further that
ucceeding grand jurles take upon
themselves the duty.