Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-04-26


IT,nZgerald 2 608,63t
vaughn 51,94t
Wilnamson Mill 12973S
Non Residents 4132Ol
negroes 235,92{
lOIAL $3,78614;
We find the books and records of the
lax Collector efficiently handled, an
parently in compliance with the law,
on the subject. The total of the Tax
Receivers digest is charged by the
state Comptroller-G General to the TaS
Collector and must be accounted for b,
nm, Failure to collect by reason o.
error in digest, bankruptcy, deaths and
removals OF those returning taxes car
be credited to Tax Collector bv proper
authority TO balance off his accounts
and this failure to collect has existed
IN little less than two per cent of tax
cS returned III past two years. The law
does not require the Tax Collector to
give the tax payer an itcmizcd receipt
ter his taxes and this is not generally
done, but our tax collector does issue
an ltcmlzed receipt which necessitates
heavy volume OF additional work for
him but means great benefit and con-
Ncn1cncc tc our tax payers.
We ind that the A. B. & A. r. R.
20. owes this County two years taxes
amounting to $12,184.01 and the
Ocilla Southern r. r. Co owes the
county 1921 taxes, amounting to $691.
81, which if collected would help out
al financial affairs of the county. es-
pctially the School Commissioner. The
AK Collector seems to have done all
possible in both these cases, both
companies being i'll the hands of the
receivers. Action against the A. B.
K A. in this matter is possible only
by the State Comptroller General who
says he does not expect to collect for
some time.
We find the systems and records
themselves of the County Commission
ers office well handled.
We find that the Clerk of the Coun-
ty Commissioners is not under bond
nor under oath as required by law,
and recommend that the Grand Turv
instruct the Commissioners to comply
with the law in this regard.
We find that the Commissioners are
not publishing a quarterly itemized
statement of all their receipts and dis
hurSementS, though the law requires
that this be done, said statement to
show voucher number, name, quantity,
price and total ar'ount. The people
have every moral and l"gal right to
know who is getting their money and
what 1t buys We recommend that the
Grand Jury instruct the Commission
ers to publish Immediately folowine
their regular meeting in May 1928,
such itemized statement covering the
first quarter of 1923 and in future to
publish these reports promptly follow
ing the close of each quarter.
We find that Mr.. R. L. Stone, one
OF the Commissioners, has been serv-
iEg as Clerk since Jan. /, 1923 at $40
per month salary as clerk. Mr. Stone
states he will not continue as clerk
without substantial increase in sa1a-
~ We learn that another man, who
is not commissioner, whom we re-
gard as equally as competent as Mr.
Stone, who is always at the Court
House anyway, has offered and is
now willing to serve as Clerk at SIS
per month. This committee believes
1t in the best interests of the County
that Clerk of the County Commission
erS be not himself Commissioner and
we recommend that the Grand Jury
advise the County Commissioners tc
engage this man as clerk.
We learn that most of the meat
corn, oats, hay, potatoes and Other
home grown products bought for the
Chain Gang is bought on the farm
where produced and is loaded and de-
llvered to the Camp at County expense
with county trucks and convict labor
This practice Of course adds material.
ly to the delivered cost of such goods
In addition( weights obtained ON the
farm of the seller cannot possibly be
as accurate as if weighed by disin-
terested, impartial, public weigher. We
recommend that the Grand Jury in,
Struct the Commissioners to confint
the practice OF sending the county's
trucks and the convicts for home
grown produce to cases of absolute
emergency and that wherever possible
weights be those of public weigher.
We are advised by >the County At
torney and by the Solicitor Genera
that 1t is violation of law for the
commissioners to purchase for the
county from themselves as individuals
from any store or business in which
they are financially interested as indi.
viduals or in which they are employ.
ed, any supplies whatsoever unless il
be clearly shown by them that prices
paid were as low or lower than those
obtanable anywhere else at that time
tor same goods. We regard this as q
law founded on excellent grounds. We
are enjoined by the Bible itself tc
avoid the very appearance of evil.
We believe that it is extremely impor.
tant and essential to the perpetuation
end strengthening of our democrat
&c, representative form of government
that the individual private citizen be.
lleve i'll integrity and purity of his
government and in those in office. The
citizen cannot maintain such refliei
when the officers OF his government
persistently violate the laws of his of.
tice, where such violation points in
the discretion OF graft We find that
very frequent purchases of produce
and supplies for the chain gang have
been made by the purchasing member
of the Commissioners from himself and
the other commissioners individually
from their tenants, from their immed
fnNl f~NV,, L. Al IL. II