Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1901 — Commissioner’s Court. [ARTICLE]

Commissioner’s Court.

The commissioners met in special session last Saturday to close up the work of the year. Nothing was done but to pass on claims. Following claims were acted upon: Irvin Lewis, work on Marion tp grav r sl2 SO JesaeNichols, Marion tpgrav r repairs. 19 50 Allen Rainey, same 10 00 Dallas Nichols, same 15 00 Chas Reed, same 25 00 W H Stephenson, same .. 500 C A Walker, same 37 50 Willis Hurley, same 6 25 J PSimons, same ... 10 00 S A Richards, same. 5 00 ELGray, same 15 00 Chas Freeland, same 5 00 Geo. McCarthy, same 5 00 Jesse Gates, same. 5 00 Edward Mayo, same 7 50 D H Yeoman, same 9 00 Marlon Adams, same 1 90 Wallace Parkison. same 13 50 Manley Burk, same 5 00 Arthur Daughterly, same. 1 87 FrankSwartaell, same..... 7 50 Bert Blue, same 15 00 Geo K Marshall, same 2 00 M R Paradis, same 33 00 Chas Marian, Inumlry for ct house ".0 Same, salary as janitor ... 45 00 S B Nichols, fireman ct house 30 00 R W Spriggs, exp examination 4 00 RobtS Drake, work on ditches 1 50 T J Mallatt, exp poor Union tp sls. dismissed Laßue Bros exp jail, $9.75 dismissed Henry Hochhaum, exp ditches 1 50 Arch Burns, Supt Keener g roads $16.50 con't J M Elliott, Supt.sxp child at children h 350 S Propp, Keener gravel road repairs . 625 City Rensselaer, electric lights 31 57 Parke Co Coal Co fuel for ot house.... 04 92 E C English, sec bd health 52 09 Same, telephone messages and exp..., 186 Same, postage 2 00 J A Larsh, exp jail 14 25 John Eger, exp poor farm 97 94 Same, jail 3 26 J H Cox, wood for sheriff 7 85 Same, exp poor Marion tp 3 00 Wm Knapp, exp ditches 2 00 J H Cox, wood for elections Marion tp 220 Jasper Co Telephone Co rent phone $13.70 .....dismissed Same, for same, $12.40 ail’d at. 12 00 R A Parkison, fuel for ct house S 3 24 Same, Keeuer tp gravel road bonds... 4,281 94 Philip Blue, services truant officer.... 26 00 A F Long, supplies for ct house 1 30 A G Hardy, postagesheri(Fa offloe 2 00 Donnelly Bros, exp jail 24 90 Same, exp ct house 24 60 S C Johnson exp county poor 85 00 Maud Robinson, labor poor farm 12 00 Chas Robluaon, same 20 00 Calvin Cain, same.... . 18 00 Bales Lumber Co exp jail 8 96 Same, poor farm 33 89 J D Babcock, exp elections Marion tp.. 200 M B Price, exp ditches 09 00 Same, postage 3 00 A G Hardy, wood for jail and residence $27, allowed at 21 00 Same, boarding prisoners 23 55 John Groom, axp gravel road $7.30 dismissed Osa Ritchey. hauling cool 5 50 John Phillips, services county assessor 33 00 G B Marshall, publie printing 19 85 Same for same 2 00 Same for same 2 30 Same for same ... 3 75 Same for same 4 00 Same, printing Gillam gravel road 11 00 Rhoades A Overton, exp Jail W 35 L H Hamilton, postage 3 00 Same, services 100 00 R A Parkison, serv on board of review 36 00 B R Hopkins, sxp election $6 ail'd at... 4 00 H F Burk, one steel arch bridge 99 50 Jas W Meßwan, public printing 3 00 H F Burk, steal arch bridge... 96 50 Same, for seme ... 96 00 T J Burk, Seme $7 00 Robt Parker, gray rd rep Carpenter.. K6l The Following claims were continued; . Thus Akeus, exp poor Barkley tp 30 $0 RCEnglish, same.... 20 00 Sama, for same 152 00 J F Warren, GtUam tp grav roads 12 10 B Forsythe,exp poor Berkley 25 18 W y Brown, bringing prisoner to Jail. 136 OG Maxwell, same 110 H F Burk, steel bridge It 50 Same for same 9$ 50 Chaa M Blue, meals for else b Marion tp 39 20 N J Reed, making aleotton eanvase..... 7 $4 Washburn A Waakburn, axp p Barkisy 119 9$

WT Wooden, exp insanity.. 990 S C Johnson, exp poor Barkley 53 00 M H Hemphill, exp Gillam grav roads.. 12 50 In looking over the records we see that the efforts of a certain deputy county officer to influence those having election claims to bring suit against the county an d try to get pay for three days service instead of only the two, for which the county council made appropriation, are likely to come to nnught, as most all the parties have taken their pay for the two days, which ends the matter so far as they are concerned. In this connection The Democrat wishes again to state that if there was ever a time when election boards should have been allowed three days pay, this year was one of those times, and had not certain officers been so anxious to make the county reform law obnoxious to the people, these bills could have been continued and thecouncil called in special session to transfer the S4OO unused election appropriation to the payment of these extra claims. But here was an opportunity, they thought, to bring down the anathemas of wrath of a large number of people upon this law under which these officers chafed, and they would place the responsibility upon the county council. Notwithstanding the extra work this year, Pulaski and a number of other neighboring counties allowed for but two days services on the election board. Thecouncil had also in their appropriations made allowance for but three meals for each member of the election boards, at 25 cents each, amply enough and ample pay for the meals, bnt in some townships fonr or more menls were charged for and, instead of cutting this charge to three meals at 25 cents each, the total allowance was divided by the total number of meals charged for, which made the allowance only about 17 cents, which is not enough and is not what the county council intended should be paid. In connection with this charge for meals we wish to say that according to the bills recorded as continued at Saturday’s session, is one $39.20 by C. M. Blue, for mealß alleged to have been furnished the boards in Marion tp. This is almost $1.50 for each member of the boards, and iB manifestly too mneh. Besides this, J. D. Babcock filed a claim. No 8951, at the regular December session for same $60,” rent of rooms and meals for election boards,” and the same was acted upon by the commissioners, who allowed the same at a reduotion. They have no right whatever to take up this claim after having once passed upon it. The only recourse any person has on any claim that has once been acted upon by a board of commissioners is to appeal to higher oourta, and we trust that the commissioner** will dismiss the above olaim from their dooket, as it certainly has no business there.