Pocahontas star herald., 1924-02-15

If they built them at all, II Moulu INV
" be with that intention. 49,,
We find that after above Sl3OO OF 'he
County funds were expended Tor
Special Audit of the Officials DOCKS
last wear our Judge authorizes an eN-
penditurc of $1,000 as Attorneys ieeS
i'm the prosecution of the claims Hrls'
ing from this audit Should these
claims be- established only small par'
would 90 10 the credit of the county
the largest part would 90 to the ROADS
and other funds. but whether ne sue
cpcdS or ,ails i'm establishing theSe
claims the expenses of the audl. ana
the cost of the prosecution OF 'he
claims fails on the county and must be
met 10y an appropriation based on the
mill levy.
We appealed to the Circu' Court
from thi. order authorizing the pay
mcnt Of this $1,000 Attorney fees:
1st: Because there is no law author
lZing it.
2nd: There is no fund which this
could be- charged to without leaving
insufRcicn funds to meet the laWIul
claims. thereby forcing nm unlawful
ovcrdraft. or leave the lawful claims
unpaid to add it 10 the County General
Expense fund would bring the amount
drawn on il up to S2SG3 leaving only
S12G5 To meet the claims ON II for the
remaining 10 mon hS till next levying
Court.
Bird There Is no other fund TO which
il could be- charged. except the Emer-
gency fund. which had at the begin
ming of last year SllOO, to its credit,
which amount together with all last
years appropriation and $500 besides
was spent last year, leaving an over
draft of $500 to be paid out Of this.
years appropriation.
4th: If the audit is lawful and cor
rect our Prosecuting Attorney should
be able to defend it, if not more law
yers would he useless expense.
We feel that our County, Ike all
other business concerns, when falllng
behind must confront that ineXorable
law of economies. spend less, get more
revenue. or suffer depreciation in
the value of It's paper obligations. Can
we get more revenuet our assess
ment is falling and we are levying toI
the full limit allowed by the COnstitu-
tion for County purposes-5 mills.
Can we reduce our expenses, large
mart of which are fixed by law and in
creased by each Legislature, and over
which the Quorum Court nor County
Judge have any control, but are re-
quired by law to make leyies ana APP
to pay See Sec Act-2l'-
1917.
II appears to us that the law as
well as prudent business foresight de-
mand that the expenses fixed by law
should first be provided for anu not
until this is done should there be any
part of the revenue diverted 10 other
otherwise. the fixed manda-
tory and lawful expenses must remain
unpaid or the County Judge violate
the law which under the severest Of
penalties, prohibits him from ordering
any warrant issued or making any con
tract in excess of the appropriations.
See See. 3 Act 2l7 1917, amended by
Sec. / and Act 16l-l9l9.
In our opinion this law that says
that no agent of the people shall ex-
pend their money or contract debts up
on them unless duly authorized by the
lawful representatives of the people,
was intended to safe guard one of the
most cherished rights of the people.
If the County Judge is not to stay
within the limits Of the appropriations,
it's a farce for the Quorum Court to
meet at an expense Of 5000 yearly to
make these appropriations, ana Tor
them to meet and fail to provide for
the lawful expences Is a failure to do
the most important and the first thing
which they are commanded 10y law tOI
do. See Sec 3-Act 2l7-l917.
We offer for your consideration the
evident fact that II the > mill levy al
lowed by the Constitution will not more
than pay the expenses of the county
fixed by law, and constantly increas-
ing that every $1,000 added 20 our
County debt Is there TO stay without
any probability Of its being paid for
years and that If our scrip is dcpre-
ciated it will remain so or get worse.
That it will take the full . mills
administrated to pay the
ordinary expenses of the County, we
fully believe and by checking up the
records of past years. is could he pretty
definitely ascertained taking into con
sideration the increase in the per diem
fees salaries etc, that have been made
by our late Legislatures.
We believe this should he done in
order that our next Quorum Court be
fully advised as to the amount neces-
sary to carry on the necessary busi-
ness of the County and that they be
advised to make the necessary apprO-
priations before they divert any of
the levy 10 the other purposes and
that the County Judge be required tOI
stay within the appropriations when
made.
We ask no prosecution for any viO-
latiOn of any law at this time, but as
in former reports we have made as
such Commissioners, call attention tOI
the following Of customs, instead of
law and to the inevitable detrimental
results of such Customs to the inter
est of the County and ask that here
after that not only ONE but ALL that
serve the people strictly follow the
law laid down for their guidance and
hereafter that ignorance of the law or
the excuse that others had done 1t so,
or that no one had ever done so, be
taken or considered any excuse what
ever.
Respectfully submitted and signed: