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Show STATE IS NEVER HJI IH Weber County Commissioners Never Returned Cash Unlawfully Un-lawfully Received. LOOKS AS IF POLITICS FIGURED IN THE GAME Matter Permitted to Drag Along Without Action Until Too Late. In connection with tho revelations concerning con-cerning oinclal graft, which hnvo recently been mado exclusively by The Tribune, thcro la an IntcrcHtliifc Hlory as to the J1K3, out of which W'eber county mulctod tho Slate by extra charges for expenses Incurred In tho assessing and collecting of taxes. According to tho records of both tho State and Weber county, that debt Is still due and owing, although unfortunately unfortu-nately outlawed by tho statute of limitations. limi-tations. Is a Strange Muddle. Tho unprejudiced citizen who will make for himself a careful Investigation of this matter must reach the conclusion that, to say tho least, the muddle Is n Htrungo one. Here arc tho fuels so far ns they are revealed by the records: Demand Was Made. In December, lOOS, C. S. Tlngoy. then State Auditor, mado an investigation of tho manner In which tho Webor County Commissioners had been handling this extra expense business, and determined thnt tho county had overcharged and received re-ceived from the Statu 51923. This was tho total of the Stale's proportion of warrants war-rants drawn In tho names of "dummies." that Is, persona who did no worlt. but whoso names wcro plneed on tho roll merely to afford deputies opportunity to got In extra tlmo and receive more salary than they could draw under the la-w. Mr. Tlngey mado an ofllcla! demand for tho relum of this amount, but ho did not get It for tho State Allowed to Outlawed. While It would seem to bo eminently tho proper action to havo a claim of this kind pressed through the legal channels until Its validity should bo determined. It will bo remembered that In 1901 there was a political campaign. In which numerous Republican otllclnls wore much desirous of succeeding themsolves. But the Ualm was not pressed, lor the reason, as Is stated upon the highest authority, that to do so might at that time endanger the Republican majority In Weber county and It was permitted to become outlawed under tho provision of the statute which places a limit of one year upr.n notions to recover rejected claims of this character. charac-ter. Mr. Tlngey Is Silent. Charles S. Tlngey. then Auditor, now Secretary of State, when seen by Tho Tribune absolutely refused to discuss any phase of the question. "I have no statement state-ment to make. I do not care to discuss tho mattor at this time. T don't caro to figure In any newspaper fights," -were tho answers that he gave to every query propounded pro-pounded to him by tho reporter. What Officials Say. Tho Tribune was Informed by a person who Is thoroughly conversant with tho situation that shortly oftei the rejection of the claim by the Wobor county board tho matter was laid before Attorney-General Attorney-General Brceden. with Instructions to proceed pro-ceed legally. But Attorney Rreeden's statement does not ngreo with thin view of the case. He says that the rejected re-jected claim was not presented to him until after tho statulo of limitations had run. .Statement of Hnlverson. Learning that tho matter had also been brought to tho attention of George Hal-vorson. Hal-vorson. Attorney for tho Second district which Includes Wober county, his statement state-ment was secured. It follows: "The thon State Auditor referred the matter of collecting col-lecting the amount duo from Webor county to mo more than ono year after tho samo had been rejected bv tho Board of County Commissioners. I proceeded with tho matter, but discovered that the statute of limitations had nlready run, oven before It had been referred to mo. Law Is Plain. "Section 2SS1 of tho Revised Statutes of 1S0S, Laws of Utah, provides: 'Actions on claims against the county, which havo occn rojected by tho Board of County Commissioners, must bo commenced within ono year after they have been rejected re-jected by such board.' Commissioners Laughed. "I advised tho State Auditor, also tho Attorney-General, of the fncls In tho matter, explulnlng that the statute of limitations had run. The Board of County Commissioners wore already advised, and they laughed at us." Mr. Halverson docs not recall the exact date that tho matter of tho rejected claims was first preacnted to him, but ls.fiprtajn that It was somo tlmo In 1!KM. Tl)fre.,;ar tho facts; various Inferences may bo drawn. |