Year: 1875




Treasury


10 The Superior Times.


| have been loath to enter into discussion
that is disgraced by the lowest kind of
bilingsgate, and will pay no attention to
what is personal other than to show the
animus of the attack upon myself


In my position County Clerk, was
cogniz mt of every scheme to deplete the
County Treasury, by special legislation of the
County Board, and AS citizen and tax payer
did all in my power to protect the honest
tax xpayer against the system of abatement
sought to be forced upon the county; and in
this way incurred the ill-will of the parties
interested


By these parties | have been attacked
through the columns of your paper, and until
lately, in The St. Paul Press. The last at
tack was, forsooth, because | had dared to
answer communication from you, asking
the amount of levy, and draft bv the County
Board for the four years last past


In that Inadvertently stated the lew for
1870 as Sl2, ,352.49, while it was but 50, 352-
40, leaving the excess of draft over lew,
fer that year, SS,96S.33 and making the
total amount drawn in excess of levy for the
four years 318,550.C5


The statute is as explicit and positive AS
any law can be made, that ''7he board of
Supervisors for any county, shall not issue, IN
oay one gear, a greater amount Of County
Orders than tie dnao ut Of County tar legied
ja such county for such gear" And every
dollar of orders issued in excess of the levy,
is just as Illegal as those issued in express
violation of any other statute, and is equally
reprehensible.


| had thought that the old adage "that
figures won't lie" had beer pretty thoroughly
exploded since the palmy days of Boss Tweed
in New York and Boss ,,ard in Washing
ton but il would seem that The facility with
which they manipulated figures to cover up
and hide their rascality and steaiings, for
so long a time, has been acquired by the
champion apologst for depleted treasury
in this county.


1t is perfectly proper that Mr.. Cranwell
should become, at the solicitation of the
Chairman of the County Board the 'Cham-
pion Apologist" of the deplorabie state of
our county finances, and the abettor of those
who brought the Countys credit to its pres
ent low ebb of fifty cents on dollar. lie it
is who, by his persistent bounding of the
Board, has been mostly instrumental in
bringing about this result He has been
well paid for it, and will expect and demand
and get further pay, if the tax payers will
submit any longer to his prostitution of the
Office of A AsseSSor.


As Assessor, he, last Spring, though or
dered by the Town Board, refused to assess a
large amount of pei elsona property belonging
to his corresponds and friends and
the Board had to employ another person to
obtain the information which enabled them
to add it to the assessment roll, and paid for
the same, by drawing an order on the County
Treasury, that they might be excused from
deducting it from Cranwell's pay as Town
Assessor. And then, notwithstanding he did
not complete the roll till three months after
the time required by law, the Town Board
pad him. months before the roll was COM
pleted, double the amount of the extreme
limit allowed by law; and on top of this
dared not throw out bill of his for 800
Office rent, fuel and lights, during May, June
and July. Why should he not defend them 2


Here is his salary, by paving two dollars
for one, raised to cash. Then what cares he
for the price of orders. ''0n the contrary,
quite the reverse | will give one instance
Last summer lie reported to a correspondent
the amount of his tax delinquent TO the
county at $3.50 and asked that the full
amount be sent-whereby he might realize a
commission of forty or fifty per cent.-And
when the gentleman demurred to the amount,
Cranwel writes again, that he (CranwelD had
succeeded in getting the Board to make an
abatement of thirty-hve per Gen." and to
send him that amount, when, in fact, no
action had been taken by the Board; but the
discount he could make on orders, was more
than that, while be endeavored TO make his
correspondent believe he had obtained that
deduction, and keep in the dark the price of
orders. Ultimately the County Board took
$50 for the tax. Failing 10 fleece his CORE
spondent he turned on the County. How
many OF his correspondents are fortunate
Is unknown; but that he lives off the Gepre-
citation in orders, is but too apparent. Then
why should he not labor like mountain,
and bring fourth mouse, to keep orders down?


Then again, what difference does it make
TO the Supervisors, if, while they usurp the
Office of 0verseer of Highways, and pay them
selves by discountiag the orders, to realize a
cash per diem, at the same rate they do for
labor, material and merchandise.


Still again, what care some of our mer-
chants for the price OF orders, so long as the
Board paws their bills Or how can they
afford to take orders, and hold them from
one to five years, even at the rate of discount
allowed by the Board, when that rate is
constantly increasing, and they have 10
hedge to save themselves, not knowing To
what extent beyond the levy the Mill" will
grind out orders, or what they NAV event
uaily realize from them.


of the SIS. $50 ot excess Of County orders
drawn during the past four years, large
portion has beea returned TO the county
treasury. ia the coileclen of interest and fee :
by the County Treasurer, and County Clerk
leaving sll, l,s5Z.66, of county orders nu-
cancelled From this Is TO be taken. the
orders in the hands OF the County Treasurer
awaiting meeting Of the Couuty Board fol
cancellation.


To take up these orders the Count,
! Treasurer has in his hands, on the Delinquent
roll less than 50, 600 of county tax, OF rhict