Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-10-27
To the Electors Of Wood Co.

Believing that the traficking III
County and Town orders for any sums
less than their par value, to be an un-
sound policy Of finance for the welfare
and financial interest Of the county, l
take this opportunity to set forth my
position as a citizen and a candidate
for Office at the hands Of the people
in Mass Convention assembled
County officers are nothing more or
less than the Electors or Taxpayers
agents, and at whose hands they have
right to expect that the financial af-
fairs of the county shall be conducted
upon the best system of public econo-
my. One of the great errors pernic-
ious in its influence, and gross in cor
ruption, is that County officers do traf-
ic both in town and county orders to
their own individual gain, which is
equally to the loss and injury to the
county. | am induced to believe that
in the contracting of debts by those
authorized 60 to DO for the County,
are at rates from twenty-five to thirty
per cent, often times greater, to be
paid in county orders, than what could
be contracted for upon a system Of
cash prices.
Now, this system Of economy for the
interests Of the county is evidently IN
FURIOUS and impoItic, for the following
reasons The contracting parties in
county debts probably may have one
eye-partiaily cited to their individu-
al gain and are sharp enough to know
that IN establishing the value Of orders
at 80, %, or any other per cent, less
than par value by the system of high
contracting prices, will before the
year turns round afford such Of them
as are in the tax-paying agency (and
as there are large amounts of non-resi-
dent lands in Wood County, it is no
small item) favorable opportunity Of
materially advancing their own pecuni-
AIRY interest. It is fact which every
business man well knows that non-res-
ident land-holders being abroad send
their moneys to these tax-payirg agen-
cles for the purpose ofpaying their tax
es (and some Of these tax paving agen-
cies located in our midst have hereto
fore been county oficers.) Now, what
becomes Of this money? Sound the
Treasury, which responds, saying, not
here, where is it? why, the county Off
GERS, taX-paying agencies, know where
it is and how it is done. 1t is barely
possible that they have slightly en-
gagged i'll legjtimoteIy and with great
core and scrupulouSness transferred
said moneys into county orders at a
discount Of from % to so Der cent.
which they successfully pocket, togeth-
err with their fees, which they do not
forget TO charge their customers toll
cradle fair price, which. when consid-
ering the county furnishes capital by
way Of orders and their customers the
money and fees, makes quite 4 specu-
lating affair." Now, it is needless to
say that continuation Of this system
must inevitably soon r:duce the cOun-
ty to a state Of Bankruptcy My poll
cy is that the Treasury should receive
the monies direct. ID. That less Or
ders should be issued until such times
as there is money in the treasury to
cash them.
Sd. Where contracts cannot be
made for cash prices, not to be made
at all. And finally, I an willing to aid
iii securing the passage of an Get at our
next Legislature, making it a penal of
Tense for any county or town officer to
traffic in County Or Town orders of
less sums than their par va1ue. Be
lieying the above policy to be the best
means to redeem a sun ken or lost cred
it, | remain yours,
Respectfully,