Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1919 — WANT CONTRACTS CANCELLED [ARTICLE]

WANT CONTRACTS CANCELLED

Road Builders Get Busy Under New Law Permitting Cancellation. At the regular meeting of the commissioners Monday all the road contractors having uncompleted contracts in the county filed petitions for cancellation of same under a law pt ssed by the late lamented legislature,' which gives them the right to have same cancelled because of the fact that contracts were taken at a time when both material and labor was cheaper than at present and to complete their contracts would perhaps mean financial, loss to the contractors. Rut the contractor who went ahead and completed his jobs and pocketed the loss gets no relief whatever. Following are the names of the contractors and the roads in which they ask that contracts be cancelled: Harry Gifford, contractor—Jud Adams road; John F. Payne road; William Folgej- road; Granville Moody road; F. L. Hoover road. Walter V. Porter, contractor —C. L. Garr road; James Lane road. Moneyfaun & Son, contractors —• W. L. Wood roads. F A. Camblin, contractor—Maurice Gorman and J. W. Hitchings roads. . '***? Charles Sthlbaum, contractor —F. J. Slight road Tuesday, May 6, was the day set fay the board for hearing all of these petitions for cancellation of contracts. No bids were received on the J. R. Phillips stone road ini Hanging Grove township, and the matter was continued. In the Bertis C. Eldridge petition for stone road, supplemental report was filed and approved and expense account allowed as set out in report. W. F. Osborne, superintendent of the F. M. Goff ditch and the A. S. Lowman ditch, filed final reports. In the former he showed collections of $517.50 and expenditures of $467, leaving a balance of $50.50 which was allowed him for services. Xn the latter he showed collections of $3,057.45 and expenditures of $2,971.98, leaving a balance of $85.47, vhich was also allowed superintendent for services. Both causes dropped. A. I. Sargent ditch —cause continued for objections. Mrs. John M. Wasson ditch—referred to county surveyor and drainage commissioner B. F. Alter. John Nowels appointed third commissioner, to -meet April 14. The auditor was directed to advertise for bids on coal for county heating plant. Trustee Porter of Carpenter township was granted permission to ex"tend additional poor relief to the amount of sls to Peter Mann and Mrs. Bartlett. Trustee- Postill of Marion township, same, to Mrs. Joseph Meyers; Mrs.' Mary Deere, Mrs. Clency Wood, Mrs" Anna Elder, Mrs. Lyman Zea and Miss Rosa Culp.

Fees collected for the quarter by the various county officers who are required to bo report, were as follows: Clerk, $336.10;* recorder, 3667.40; sheriff, 3149.07; auditor, 371.40. Interest on county funds for the month of March were reported by all the county depositories, except Wheatfield, which was not yet in, as follows: Trust & Savings bank, Rensselaer, 3173.94; First National bank, Rensselaer, 3175.86; State bank, Rensselaer', 3150.48; Slate bank. Remington, 3137.87. What purported to be the annual report of the trustees of the Jasper county hospital for the period from July 1, 1917, to August 1, 1918, was filed in long hand and signed “Board of Trustees.” This report showed receipts for the period covered of 38,615.40, and disbursements of 316,205.59. The disbursements were itemized —improvements, 3220.30; sterlizer, 3668.50; X-ray (part), 3794.42; balance furniture and equipment, 3224.73; real estate, 33,500, making a total of 35,407.95, which the report says should not be included as operating expenses—salary nurses and help, 36,488.52; supplies, 34,309.12. During this period, says the report, 329 patients were received at the hospital; 174 operations performed and 32 babies born. The report says that it has been circulated that the operating expenses of the hospital were over 31,000 per month, which is denied, as the money spent in permanent improvements should not be charged up as operating expenses. The report also says that additional room is -needed, which would indicate that the board will ask for more money for permanent improvements.