The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-06-01
CGunsy Affairs.

CGEamay Affairs.
That there is some unnecessary friction
in our county machinery, is doubtless APP
parent to every one who has bestowed a
single thought upon the matter, OR who
has been called upon to pay taxes. That
there is q loop-hole somewhere at which
several hundred dollars are silently but
certainly escaping every year forpurposes
entirely unnecessary, is believed to be
true.
Now it is not altogether improper to
inquire into the county affairs, and see if
there is no chance for retrenchment.-
Among other things, we find ourJudicia-
ry to be rather expensive; it saddles us
with a bill of not less than $500 per an
mum. Is not this extravagant? Does the
amount Of litigation in the county actual
y demand it9 About sixty jurors were
summoned to attend the present term of
the Circuit Court, and most Of them ap-
peared. Our county, as such, is not res
ponsibie in this particular, since it did not
create statutory provisions. Again, the
county is not responsible for'unnecossary
delays in court proceedings, but inlivid-
uals sometimes are. 1t should be re-
membered that time is money in 'scourt
time" and the average expense is little Gf
any less than $40 for every hour that the
court is actually in session.
During the sessions of the County Board
We are regularly treated to a dose of''econ-
omy" from the Democrat, and irregulary
SO at intervals between the sessions. Ev-
cry body has waitedaa with great anxiety
to hear from these sylnpathizng friends
in this hour Of need. And where now
are these valiant heroes? Do they cry
aloud and spare not? Not for the dear
people if they are heard anywhere, it is
for their clients, alias, their pockets
They can stand at the bar and detain the
court FIVE houls, over matter in dispute
of less than twenty dollars, and subject
the taxpayers ofthe county to an expense
of one hundred dollars, with the utmost
sang froid, provided always that they can
fleece their client to the tune Of fifty dol
lars more. Not a word do we hear about
public economy now. Nota word do we
hear about our court machinery being
complicated and expressive.
There is fault somewhere, but we may
look in vain for those who engineer the
concern to put it in better order. Neither
can reforms commence on a general scale
and succeed. Each individual must look,
think and act for himself. We must
bring this matter homo and examine ii
closely. It has reached vital principle,
nan1ely-our purses, and they are already
empty; our treasury is empty, and our
credit IS to SO per cent below par. We
are running the gauntlet between spocu-
lators on the one hand, and bankruptcy on
the other. Spectators are buying our
currency at halfits nominal value, and tie
consequence is that it takes two dollars N
county orders to pay for what could be
bought for one dollar in cash.
Every day we are plunging deeper, and
still deeper into debt. The county is in
Yolved in a lawsuit, and we are contenl-
plating internal improvements. We do
not propose to discuss the merits of the
county road, but we doubt the wisdom of
that policy which contemplates building
it now. Until county orders will pass at,
or nesr their face, it must be exceedingly
expensive to accomplish such an enterprise
To tell us what could be, what would be.
what should be, ETC., amounts to nothing.
We must take the matter rs 1t is, and
make the best of it we can.
We would not be censorious-we have
no invectives 10 lavish upon our neigh
bors, but it is useless to complain unless
we suggest; and while our finances are in
their present condition, people have a
right to complain. If jurors who work
for the county for one dollar fifty cents
per day are compelled to take county or
ders for pay, and then sacrifice one fourth.
or one-third on them in order to raise
money to pay their board bills, there is
some ground for complaint. We trust
then, that the suggestion that we omit the
building of the county road for the pres
emit, will not be amiss. Would it not be
well for the Board at its next session to
suspend operations on itf If We have
money TO spare, let us first meet our pres
ent debts.
If the county read was ever expected
10 refund anything to the treasury, or