Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, October 30, 1912, Page 1

Historlal Soclety, THENE K- HISTORICAL SOCIETY. VOLUME 10. NUMBER 158. WHO IS WHO GRAHAM M. TORRANCE. Next to that of the auditor, the office of attorney is perhaps the most important in the county. The attor- ney, with-his many duties, has it in his power to save or injure the coun- ty to the extent of many thousands of dollars a year through poor de- cisions or judgment. Fortunately it has a good for Beltrami county, attorney. GRAHAM M. TORRANCE. Graham M. Torrance has lived in Bemidji nine years and has been| county attorney since June, 1911. Prior to being appointed to that of- fice he had been secretary to the Be- midji school board for several years and was also city attorney for Be- midji. He is a graduate of the Un: versity law school and supported him self and family while going through college by doing expert stenographic work on the outside. Mr. Torrance was appointed coun- ty attorney when the board of coun- ty commissioners accepted the resig- nation of Henry Funkley and this is the first time Mr. Torrance has been before the people of the county on an election ballot. He received a| vote in the primary that put him far| in the lead of his Republican oppon- ent and the vote in the general elec- tion should double that of the pri- mary Mr. Torrance has had many duties to perform as county attorney and has taken pride in pointing to the fact that he has been the attorney for the county to the exclusion of all other interests. Some of his duties are as follows: 1. He is attorney for the county in both civil and criminal matters. 2. The law does not require it, but Mr. Torrance has attended every meeting of the board of county com- missioners and has given them the| S. benefit of proper legal advice at am-!fice is large and Mr. French has reec- time. jords of every letter received or issu-| 3. The county attorney waits on the grand jury, examining all wit- nesses and drawing the indictments and any other necessary papers. 4. He investigates all cases of law infractions which are reported to him. 5. He is the legal adviser of all other county officers and stands ready to give opinions and advise whenever required. 6. He is the county officer who examines all bonds of other officers, those of the county ditech contracts, ete. It will be seen from outline that it does not pay the coun- | ty to have an inefficient man for at- torney. When the board of county commissioners made the appointment | in June, 1911, that they had selected the best man available for the office. In the more than a year that he has been attor- ney the board has found him satis»§ factory and many of the voters of the county have decided to follow the lead of the commissioners. =1 wish that I could personally see and tell every voter in the coun-| ty,” said Mr. Torrance this mornmg “that 1 have been attorney for the county first, last and all the time since my appointment. It has cost me much sometimes but 1 have never let anything stand in the way oi my duty as an officer of the county.’ People at large over the county seldom hear of the activity of the attorney in such civil cases as the county may become involved in. It is the criminal cases that receive the publicity so it is by their criminal cases that the prosecutors have come | to be known best. Since he has been | county attorney, Mr. Torrance has secured the following notable con- victions: 1. Joe Lafave—sent up from Baudette on an arson charge for set- ting fire to a house in which a wom- an and her children were sleeping. He is now in Stillwater. 2. John Yarlton—a petty theif who had defied the Bemidji police 2. William Sly — a man whose for years. case was similar to Carlton’s. now in Stillwater . {Continued on last page.) | tionment of all tax funds to the state, itax collections and then make the depositories, | the above | they did so believing | He is now in Stillwater.} He is| WHO IS WHO GEORGE H. FRENCH. A county treasurer's office is one of the busiest in the court house for not only must the treasurer and his office force act as cashiers, but they must also be bookkeepers an several different sets of books. The major- ity of people come in contact with this office only when paying their taxes, but it is there, hard at work. the full twelve months of the year. GEORGE H. FRENCH. George H. *uch has been treas- years. He w nt into the office under | difficult circumstances but during his years of service has gradually straightened out the back work, has introduced innovations which make the routine simpler and at the pres- ent time has the work of his office down to date. The duties of the treasurer involve a wide variety of activities. Follow- ing is an outline of his more im- portant acts: 1. He receives all money coming into the county. Up to last night, it amounted to $915,100.35 for the pre- ent year. 2. He makes all payments of county warrants and bills. TUp to last night this amounted to $5 063.20 for the current year. The di: ference between the two figures is $392,037.15 which is the present county balance. 3. He receives all payments and sees that they are properly cancel- ed in the records. 4. He must make correct appor- county, city. village, township and school district treasurers. October 21 is the last day for the payment of the last half of 1911 taxes. 5. He must make all mortgage apportionments as above. 6. He must collect all state land payments and make remittances to the state therefore. 7. He must deposit the county money in the sixteen county banks, have them balanced at least every thirty days and seé that there are no errors. The correspondence of this of- ed since 1904. 9. He must check all tax receipts with the cancellations in the tax books—a procedure which precludes the possibility oferror. It has been estimated by the public examiner that this work takes at least four months of the year in this county. 10. He must report to the public examiner at least once a month of the business done during the preced- ing thirty days and on the fifth of each month must report the bank balances on the sixteen banks. 11. He is examined by the public examiner at least once a year; by the county commissioners as least |twice a year; by the board of audit, which consists of the auditor, clerk of court, and chairman of the com- missioners, at least three times a |vear. He is under $95,000 bonds. 12. He must certify to the {current taxes on all deeds, which are presented for record. 13. He must notify all personal property owners of the amount of their personal property tax which is |due January 1 aof each year. 14. He must keep a cash book! jand make a cash balance every night howing the amount of cash in the |sixteen banks and the amount in his vaults. ~ It can be seen at a glance that the urere of Beltrami county for several |’ WHO IS WHO ANDREW JOHNSON The sheriff of the coupty is-the of- ficer of the court on whom falls sev- eral different kinds ‘of work. The sheriff must be a man of unquestion- able integrity, must know no fear and above all must be conscientious in his work. Andrew Johnson is the Republican nominee for the. office hiving won over A. B. Hazen in the Qprimsries. ANDREW JOHNSON Some of the duties of the sheriff are: 1. He must guard and care for all county, city and state prisoners must also use the same care with persons not prisoners but who are detained for other reasoms. 2. He is an officer of the court and must preserve order in the court room. 3. He is one of those who draw juries and must have 4 man in whom the people will have confidence. 4. He is charged with custody of prisoners who are to be transferred to state penal institutions. 5. He must use all diligence in searching out violators of the law and bringing them to justice, both for his own county and any who may have fled here from other counties. 6. He is the keeper of the juries and must see that they have no com- munication with the outside world while on duty. Andrew Johnson has been deputy sheriff under two sheriffs-and is fa- miliar with the work of the office. He has lived in the county long enough to know all parts of it thoroughly- His fearlessness and integrity have never been questioned. Johnson is a product of Minnesota and will make a good sheriff. WHO IS WHO JUDGE M. A. CLARK The probate judge is the one man in the county whose work deals par- ticularly with the widows and or- phans. -It is his special work to set- tle estate and see that those who are left behind are properly guarded. JUDGE M. A. CLARK Judge Clark has been at the head of the probate court of this county since 1902 and prior to that time had experience in probate courts of other counties and was for a time the clerk to the probate judge whom he suc- |work of the office is so diversified ceeded. The work is highly techni- that it takes an expert of experlencE‘ca] and needs a man who has more (Continued on last page). (Continued on last page). | ' SCOOP zeporrer HEY Y00 — COME ouT | OF THAT A MINUTE.— which are placed in his custody. He[ constltutes house of Elephants.” q Most peop white elep ant-—a discarded article which either has. served its reasons is not earning its rooim. p's @ Every white elephant of yours hasa cash value to some cae. | G A want ad will find a buyer for a few cents. MAY DIE Vice-president Sherman Reported This Afternoon as Being Critically HI. (By United Press). Utica, N. Y., Oct. 30.—Special at 2:30.—A bulletin just given out here states that Vice-president Sherman is critically ill and that his death is momentarily expected. Restless Night. Utica, N. Y., Oct. 30.—After a restless and unsnulfncwry day, Vice- president Sherman dropped asleep at 8:30 last night, and indications are that he would sleep throughout the night.” The physicians’ was: statement “This afternoon there were recur- rences of the disturbances but for the larger part of the afternoon the pa- tient rested quietly.” During the day several emergency calls were sent from the Sherman home to physiclans. Conditions Discussed. ‘Washington, Oct. 30.—Deep inter- est was manifested today throughout tion of Vice-president Sherman at Utica. His illness was the subject of repeated inquiry at the White House. Confidence was expressed in many quarters that the vice-president will recover, although the most optimistic do not expect him to be in the chair when congress reconvenes in Decem- ber. The absence of the presiding officer, however, will not give the senate a problem to solve. . A bitter fight over the president protem ended last session in an agreement to have Senators Galling- er, Republican, and Bacon, Democrat, alternate. Politicians are discussing Dossible action in case of the resigna- tion before or after the election, in case the vice-president withdraws from the ticket or should die. Opin- ions vary widely. FEW AT EICKSTADT MEETING. Not many farmers braved the weather Tuesday night to go to the Eickstadt school in the town of Frohn to hear the Bemidji extension speakers. The meeting had the smallest attendance of any yet held but those present appeared interest- ed in the talks and asked many ques- tions later. A meeting will be held purpose or for other| in the Wilton school Thursday. H.| C. Baer and C. W. Jewett furnished the cars last evening which took out |the speakers. l)on’tBe So Perpendicular, Scoop g J. 0. HARRIS Little is heard of the office of reg- ister of deeds because it seems more removed from the general public than most of the other offices. The work of this office is mostly routine and consists mainly of the register- ing of deeds, contracts, and other in- struments which are to be placed on records of the county. J. O. HARRIS Mr. Harris said this morning,_ “I want to say to both those whom I have been able to meet and those whom I have not that their support WHO IS WHO W. B. STEWART.. ~ No county officer, even including the judge of probate, comes in.closer touch with the boys and girls and home life of the people than the superintendent of schools. It is in their school life and the next gen- efation has the opportunity to go beyond their. fathers and the man who gufdes their progress must be one of exceptional ability and trust- worthiness. at the polls next Tuesday will be ap- preciated. My efforts will be and have been to place this office on as high a business plane as possible and to see that each and every person re- ceived the services to which they are entitled.” The records of the office show that the work has been handled in a care- ful manner and Mr. Harris says that he has put the office on the best pos- sible economical basis using modern machinery wherever possible. In his from the house tops, but rather has used the dignity to which the office is entitled. Many of the voters will remember that last spring Mr. Harris had print- ed and mailed out at his own ex- pense a calendar which gave the names of all the town clerks togeth- er with figures from Auditor George showing the acreage of assessed lands in this county, the average assess- ment by towns and the rate. The calendar has been found of great use by those wishing to keep in touch with the progress of the county. Mr. Harris has been the register of deeds for several years and is thoroughly familiar with the routinej of the office. He had no opposition at the September primaries yet re- ceived a vote which indicated that he would have hearty support at the polls. He is the Republican nominee and will appear on the ballot Tues- WHO IS WHO M. E. IBERTSON M. E. ITbertson has been county coroner for two terms and is the Republican nominee for a third term. He is a Minnesota man, born and raised, and has lived in Bemidji for about twelve years. M. E. IBERTSON When Mr. Ibertson assumed the of- campaign he has not hurled defiance | day as such. | | During the past five years, W. B. STEWART. For six years, Mr. Stewart has been at the head of the county school system and in that time has brought it from that of a back woods county to the most progressive one in the state. It was only last week that Beltrami county dedicated the first consolidated rural school of the state afd five more are in process of construction. With its six consoli- dated rural schools, this county leads the state. The county superintendent has many distinet activities, some of which are as follows: 1. It is his duty to encourage a desire for better and more efficient schools. To this end Mr. Stewart has had six meetings of school officers for thespurposg:of discussing school finances, improvements in equipment, the hiring of teachers, etc. 2. He must assist the teachers in securing better educations by provid- ing for summer schools and getting aid from the state department for this purpose. 3. A large part of his time is spent in visiting the schools when he talks with the teachers regarding their work, the needs of the school and the methods by which better equipment may be obtained. It is on these trips that Mr. Stewart has encouraged the study of agriculture, domestic science, and the kindred subjects which have placed this coun- ty in the lead. From January 1 to Jume 1, 1907, Mr. Stewart traveled 1,064 miles by rail, 228 by team, and 281 by foot. At that time there were seventy dis- tricts and eighty-six schools. The amount of distance he must travel now has been materially increased as at present there are ninety districts and 116 schools in the county. 4. The superintendent must work with the teachers to get the correct apportionment of state aid; must look over their reports and suggest additions, alterations, etc., and must assist them in every way to better their own condition by working in conjunction with the state author- ities. 5. Mr. Stewart has encouraged better work in the schools by provid- ing premium lists, exhibits at fairs, ete. Tt is a well known fact that a| contest is the best method possible for the bringing out of quality in work. 6. In addition to his other work, the superintendent must make out his county and state reports which show in detail the state of finances, equipment, edueation of teachers, ete. the state aid for Beltrami county schools ‘has increased from $2,875 to $21,- 306. Mr. Stewart should be given credit for this increase as the mon- ey received from the state has made (Continued on last page). (Continued on last page). By “HOP" - WHO IS WHO JAMES L. GEORGE. > Few people who do not actually come in contact with the county aud- itor and the work of his office realize the amount of business which passes - through his hands each year or the opportunity ~present for waste through carelessness or igmorance. The duties of a county auditor are different from those of any other of- ficial and call for a2 man of extraor- dinary ability. JAMES L. GEORGE. James L. George has been the aud- itor of Beltrami county for two years and during that time has conducted ithe office in a manner which has aroused the admiration of all who have come in contact with it. Officials of the state pronounce his office one of the best kept in the state. Such an endorsement takes on additional weight when the duties of the auditor are considered: 1. He is county bookkeeper. 2. He is a member of the county board of audit. 3. He is the chief executive d!~ cer of the tax levy and collection de- partment of the county, which in- cludes meetings at least once a year with 21l of the town assessors. 4. He is an ex-officio member and secretary of the board of county com- missioners. 5. He is entrusted with the rec- ords of the bonds issued to cover ditch improvements and must charge the interest and principal of each year against the lands benefited. 6. He must watch all ditch mat- ters to see that surveys are properly made, reports submitted and est- mates filed correctly. 7. He must enforce the collection of delinquent taxes. 8. He must certify that all taxes against any property have been paid before a deed to that property can be registered with the register of deeds. 9. He must register and counter- sign every mortgage on which the registration tax is paid. 10. He must prepare the pri- mary and general election ballots, seeing that each candidate received a “square deal.” He must also watch the expense accounts of candidates to see that they are filed on time and that they do not show expenditures in excess of the legal limit. 11. He.,must care for the office correspondence Wwhich amounts to from twenty to forty hours work each week. This consists mainly in answering questions as to the state of county work, statistics, etc., 12. Every financial transaction to which the county is a party orig- Inates and ends in the office of the county auditor. He must also ac- count for every cent paid into and out of the county treasury. Increase In County Business. When Mr. George became county auditor two years ago there had been no records kept of the receipts is- sued for tax sales and no set of tax levy books. Mr. George had to open both sets of books and check up the work from the time the county was organized. Up to 1910 there had been 546 receipts of all kinds issued while there have been 1,620 since he assumed his office. The figures show that the work of this ome depart- ment has trebled since he has been |auditor. The amount of work neces- sitated by these 1,620 receipts is in- .|dicated that each receipt has nine different entries before the work is finally completed and that each in- volves considerable correspondence. The personal property assessment book is also kept by the auditor. This book contains the amount of tax levied on the personal property |in Bemidji, the nine villages, the { 81ty-two organized towns and all of the unorganized towns in the county. The book containg three entries to each description: the first is that of the assessors; the second is that of the. county board —of -equalization; and the third is that of the state tax commission. Each set must be figured and balanced by the auditor before the books can be closed. 5 The auditor is also a general as- ~ - (Continued on 1ast page).