Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1900 — Who Ordered Them? [ARTICLE]

Who Ordered Them?

Along last fall some time, three cases of metallic vault furniture was unloaded trtrHhe court house and stored in the basement on either side of the south stairs. The cases were billed to the commissioners of Jasper County. These boxes or crates have never been moved or opened, but still remain where first placed. Along about the same time a petition for additional vault furniture for the recorder’s office, made by R. B. Porter, made its appearance on the commissioners’ docket and has been continued Rlong from term to term until the June session, when it was dismissed? A freight bill (supposedly for freight and drayage on this furniture) also appeared about that time, was continued a term or two and finally allowed. Another bill of the Art Metallic Furniture Co,, supplies for court house, $375.00, also appeared on , the commissioners’ docket about that time and has continued for every term since, and was again continued at the July term. At the latter term, however, the entry on the docket reads that the “supplies” are vault furniture for the recorder’s office, a fact which we had suspicioned ever since the matter first came up. Now, as no appropriation was made by the county council for this vault furniture, and, we believe, the matter was never heard of by the public at aIL until the “furniture” was presumably bought and already stored in the court house and the county asked to pay for it, the question arises: On whose order was thil ' rr fu r n Tfu fe ’ ’ bought and shipped here? The commissioners have the exclusive power to purchase such supplies and can only purchase on the written -requisition of the officer for which the supplies are required and then they must advertise for bids for furnishing same. Why has this claim been continued from term to term for months? If it is a just claim and the “supplies” were regularly and lawfully purchased, why not pay the bill? If not, strike it off the docket. The fact is. the commissioners know full well that they have no right to pay this claim, that the furniture was not purchased according to law and they dare not pay it now. But. if it can be continued along until nfter election, then perhaps, it will be different—if the republicans win. Won't the Official Apologist please make some sort of an explanation of this vault furniture deal to its farmer constituency? G’ome, Marshall, sharpen your pencil and write a few columns “explaining" this little matter.