Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-03-05
ExTRAvAGANT EXPENDITURES.

A great deal has been said, and with good rea-
son too, ofthe extravagant expenditures required
to meet the city and county expenses We
have not faith enough to suppose that we shall
remedy the matter in this article; but this we
DO know: if the suggestions which we shall
throw ont are carried into effect very great
wing could be effected Immediately. It may be
said that the plan of "Pay as you CO." in regard
to county and city matters is entirely mpracti-
cable SO il is ''impractcable' with regard to
indivduals-but individuals who DO not enjoy
credit enough to get trusted, find it perfectly
practicable. And if nobody could be found to
DO service for the county without the cash up,
the county would find it entirely practicable 10
'pay as you CO." II the majority Of the tax pay
ers of the county are in earnest in groaning over
their enormous taxation, it will not be difficult
for them to make up their minds to vote one
years expense in advance. BY so doing, the
money might be in the treasury, and the ndi-
vidual whose services are sought, in knowing
this fact, would be induced TO work much cheap
er for the cash down." on q special contract
with enc who was empowered to contract and
pay for services, than he would if he had to do
his work and make out his bill with the risk of
having it cut down one-ha!f, (by a body of men
whose individual responsibility and honor is mer-
ged in body corporate AID then paid in a de-
preciatod scrip that will with difficulty be eX-
changed for dry goods, and which cannot buy
meat or flour
We say let the county do, as an economical
Intelligent business man does, and then there
would be no need of grumblng over enormous
expenditures. Til this is done the remedy will
be wanting.
No body of men taken promiscuously, one
hom each town in the county, Il they We're as
pure as Gabriel, could give satisfaction Go eve
~ body who lelt disposed to carp in their ad
miniatrution of county mattcrs-cspeciallyi if this
body is thoroughly renewed, as it Is now every
year. They will, unsvoidubly, allow some bills
which 90 not belong for the county TO pay at all
on other bills they may allow too much-and
on Others in their laudablc attempts at public
economy, they may cut down so much as to rem
ter injustice to the man who is poor aud Ignorant
and cannot afford 70 sue or wait for justice.
How is i. now? The credit of Kenosha Co.
is as good as the credit of any county in the
State. But there is not an individual, as we
said above, who would not work 25 per cent
cheaper fox the county If he knew he would have
his cash down, than he would if he knew he
would have to wait nine or twelve months to
have lis account allowed, and then paid off in
something he would have 10 sacrifice, for cash.
Then, andcr this plan, so many charges would
not be trunped against the county which they
nor their agents ever authorized. You cannot
make an individual liable for debts which he has
not in person, or BY agent, contracted-nor can
a county or city be holden, except in the legal
way Of liability; and the Statute can be made
as clear for them as for individuals, and thus
horde of blood-suckors, in one shape or another,
is Immediately shakon off.