The Nevada Democrat., 1857-12-30

but 81 In cash. These are contingent expenses
which the law does not and cannot regulate and
if paid in deprecated scrip enough more Of it
must be paid out to make it equal to cash to the
creditor. Among the items Of contingent ex-
penses for the past year we may enumerate at
q cash rate;
Jailor, r,........,..............$ 81, 200 90
Jailor's Assistant. .......... ZOO "
Baiff iiio for attendance s, on Court 100 90
Printing, Stationery and Books
ior Sierk - ;'.'..''''''''.'t' i,yy00oo w w
Making and copy ing Ass'mt roll 800 90
Election expenses. ..... z,o0o w All. 10
Other contingent expenses 49,, 500 00-$1o O2b 90
Fer which about double the amount stated IL
paid in scrip These are regarded as cash ex-
penses the services and supplies commanding
the market price, and for which, if scrip for one
dollar is worth but fifty cents, two dollars in
scrip must be paid for what one dollar in cash
would pay Now it may be that some of the
services and somo Of the supple, are not re-
quired, and the Board of Supervisors upon
whose Judgment and discretion much depends
should give careful attention to all contingent
services, supplies and expenses. After this
year if the tax authorized by the act . April
22nd 1857 is levied by the Board Of 81 pei visors,
the county will be no longer required to pay
double prices for contingent expenses. By that
law $500 poll tax and one fourth of one per
cent Csc per Sl00) is authorized to be levied,
one half of which is to be used for the payment
OF current expenses, other than salaries and
fees Of county officers. The net receipts from
this special tax in 1858 would probably be $l2,
600.
As one half of the special tax would not be
sufficient to meet the character Of expenses des
ignated the law can be easily amended so as te
appropriate the whole of the special tax or sc
much of it as may be necessary to the liabilities
which it was designed to meet, and the current
expenses in this manner be reduced from $37,
500 to $27 500, saving of some $4,000 year.
But if the financial affairs of the county are
conducted in other respects as at the present
what is the result? In four years or . little
over the present outstanding warrants will be
paid by levying the special tax, but the debt
that will accumulate at the end o: this period
will equal the present debt l have made an
estimate of this accruing debt upon the as
sumption that the contingent expenses are to be
paid in cash. and by the time the present out
standing warrants are paid the warrants then
outstanding together with interest will equal in
amount $4,000.
In making this estimate ! have placed the
taxable property of 1858 at $4,o0O,0O0 and al
lowed an annual increase on this amount OF s
per cent? $4,000 year as the revenue from
other sources; regarded rs cts per $l00, as the
tax hereafter levied fer general county purpo-
ses; appropriated $4,000 year out of the in
coming revenue to meet contingent expenses; and
rated the current county expenses at $4,000
As regard the matter it is especially desra-
Bile that county officers and oil who may become
creditors of the county should know whdt they
are to receive aud whes they are to receive it.
The county should pay what it pretands and un-
dertakes TO pay, and ut the same time the COM
pensation for services rendered the county
should be as near as possible equal and proper
toned to the services rendered. AS matters are
now there is no certainty rs to time or amount
of payments to the creditors of the county and
the compensation is disproportioned to the SER
vices rendered. AS with cash payments a sa-
wing can be made to the county pt the present
value of scrip OF $4,000 in contingent expen-
ses. so by cash payments large reduction could
be effected ip salaries aud fees. The salary Of
the County Judge $4,000 could be reduced to
81, ,OOO that of the District Attorney to 1000,
and their cash receipts would be about the
same as now; the salaries would be sufficient,
and the county would save $500 year. The
District Attorney it will be recollected has in
addition to his salary, fees On every convictions
10 per cent on money collected, and Office, light
and fire furnished. The pay of the Supervisor
and Associate Justices could be reduced from
$s to Sc per day and then they be paid rs per
cent more than they are now. A reduction ia
other respects could bo made Of 81 900 or more
together with interest on this annual indebted
ness, in oil reduction of at least $4,000 year
and parties be as we'll compensated as new and
probably better. The total saving to the coun-
ty by cash payments will exceed $4,000 year
and reduction in the current expenses of the
county from $37 900 year to $21, 900, q mat
ter of no small economy to tax payers But
wishing to be liberal in his public economy will
set the current expenses at $4,000 upon cash
basis
In order to effect this public economy it is ne.
cessary for the county to come down to cash
payments. This cannot be dsne without fund
ing the county debt, The best interests of the
county require this to be done and fair and ex-
act dealing with the creditors of the county
hereafter require it to be done. Will it be do
ing any injustice to the present scrip-holders
When this scrip was issued it was known that a
long time would elapse before the scrip would
be paid and the most of this scrip has passed out
of first hands and at a large discount, on ac-
count of the long time before it would be paid
The warrants funded upon just basis and pay