The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-03-09
Town Neutrality-suspicious..


Mr.. Editor Il wish through the col
umns Of yoar paper, to call the attention
of the electors and taxpayers to tie al
fairs of the town. Let these affairs beas
they may, right or wrong, there can DC
no harm in our understanding our own
business, hence | suggest that we resolve
ourselves into s.committee of the whole,
and considering you the chairman" let
us have social chat over our present con-
dition and future prospects.
The times they say, are bard, and II
behooves us to be economical. live can
now hire men to work cheap in private
enterprises, those who work for the pub
lie shouldzwork correspondingly cheap.
Last year we paid our Town Clerks Zone
was appointed to fill the place Of the for
mer, resigned) the sum of sixty five dol
lars or upwards. There have been some
extra sessions of the Board this year, in
consequence of unsettled business with our
former Treasurer,-by the new assessment
law the Clerk is made one of the Board
of equalizers, who spent two days or more
upon the Assessment Roll, and an extra
duplicate was made of the Roll, in confor-
nifty with this new law, SO that, if legal
rates have been charged for these extra
services, we must conclude that the bill
for this year is augmented some fifteen
dollars or more. All this, doubtless, may
be, and is just, but are not the legal rates
too high? If the rates for transcribing,
filing and recording, will enable Clerk
to make three dollars per day, are not
those rates too high! and more especi
ally in these hard times, when any of us
are willing to work for one dollar per day |?
The Statute provides that the Town Board
fix the salary of the Clerk, or that the
Town can fix his salary at their annual
meeting.
Next, I understand that our Survey
or's bills have been audited at four dol
lars per day, and these bills constitute no
small item in our incidental expenses
The County Surveyors are allowed but
$3.50 per day. and 1 wish to raise the in
quiry whether our Surveyors bills should
be any larger for the same labor? The
County Surveyor takes his pay in Coun-
ty Orders which are seldom worth more
than IS cents on the dollar while our
town orders usually pass at par. Two
dollars then, for our town surveying,
would be better pay in reality, than So, so
for County surveying.
Again, it costs nearly $50 to make
our yearly assessments. This may not be
too much, but it strikes me that the work
could be done by an active, efficient per-
son, in about three or four weeks. It
strikes me, also, that three men can do
the work both cheaper and better than
one. Let them divide the town into three
districts, or divisions, and each one take
that part with which he is most familiar.
and am confident that we shall have
better assessment roll than it is possible
for any one man to make, and the expense
cannot possibly exceed the amount paid
this year.
| have been credibly informed that the
Board have appropriated some of the
money raised to defray incidental expen-
ses, for the purpose of raising the bridge
across the South Fork, near Mr.. Farm
hams shop. | may err in Judgment, but
if this is a fact, think the appropriation
unauthorized, and scarcely think the town
would vote their money for such a pur-
pose, when there is a road tax in that dis
trict amounting to $3.50 or $500. | con-
cede that the sob" was good one, and
| could mention good many more pla-
ces in the town where money might be
expended to good advantage. But is not
our road money sufficient for all such pur-
poses till the times are little easier?
Last spring the Chairman of the Board
settled with the County Treasu rer, and
drew from the County Clerk the amount
then due US, in certificates of lands which
had been sold for taxes, amounting, as |
have understood, to over $500. Some
of these certificates have been sold by him
for cash. or assigned to pay the indebted
ness of the town. Here, then, we have
two receiving and disbursing officers
one is regularly elected and authorized
officer, who has given bonds for all mon
eys which come into his hands. Now, I
only wish to inquire if it would not be
proper for the Treasurer to receive and
disburse all money, or scrip belonging to
the town?
Last spring the town voted an appro-
priation of $3.50 to defray incidental ex-
penses, but the prospect is that these ex-
penses will exceed $500. In view of these
facts, | wish to make few suggestions.