Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-08-25

Here we are furnished list Of debts due by
Bedford county. The name Of John Brice
has disappeared and John Sill $1,000 90
alone remains. Here again we are told
that there is in the hands Of the Treasurer
81, ,230 81. Not one word again about the
debt due the State. And yet the books Of
the Auditor General, the official record be-
tween the State and county, show that in
Jan. 1865, this debt has reached the enor-
nous sum Of fourteen thousand five hum
dred and forty-four dollars and seyenty-one
cents $l4, ,544 ~. All this, too, a genu-
inc bona-fide debt, every dollar Of which
must one day be paid By the tax payers of
Bedford county, and yet the people, these
very tax payers, are not permitted to know
it. In the same settlement we are told that
the old collectors and other parties owe the
county $19,039 %, and the bounty taxes
yet due the county are $S,S43 SIN all
So, 1888 o5. Some of these debts are very
old, and many of them have appeared IN all
the old settlements. It viii be but little
use for the people to rely upon these claims
for the payment of their debt, unless they
obtain some other agents for their collec-
ton. But this is not yet all. By law of
1864 it was provided that in case any delin-
quent county should not pay its debt to the
State on or before the first day of August,
1865, FIVE per cent should be added as a
penalty for the default. This law was over
fifteen months old on the first of August,
and the Commissioners had due notice.
They even met and considered the question,
and postponed or omitted action until some
future time What is the result? We have
already seen that our unpublished debt to
the State alone in January, 1865, was Sl4.-
544 II. The interest on that sum from
January 81 to August l, 1865, is 1851 30
making SIS, ,194 or By failure to pay at
that time, five per cent of this sum or
$755 20 have been added, SO that on the
first day of August, 1865, Bedford county
owed the State of Pennsylvania the hand
some sum of Sl5,S59 OIL Is it not time
that the tax payers should begin to know
something about the true condition of the
county
1t is easy to tell why it is that the exis-
tence of this debt has been carefully conceal
ed from the people. 1t was in order to en-
able those men to continue in power who
had the knowledge but had not the capacity
nor the courage to meet it.
How the debt originated is not so easily ex-
planned by persons not having access to the
books and papers of our county officers.
There is no doubt, however, that the chief
cause is to be found in the same fact. There
are several ways in which some of this debt
may have been made. In January, 1862,
it was $9,773 81. In January, 1868, $1l,
733 81. In January, 1864, $11,S50 a. In
January, 1865, $14, 544 II, and in August,
/, 1865, $15,S59 OF, or more than $4,000
greater than it was three years ago. Part
of this debt may have arisen from the fact
that the Commissioners did not levy sufi-
cient State tax. IF so it was their fault.
Part of it originated because too much in
dulgence was allowed to collectors. By this
-tl>a ea-,ntu looses LARGELY in interest
This is the fault of the Commissioners who
granted the indulgence.
Part of the debt may have originated by
the appointment of incompetent, or in some
cases dishonest, collectors This is the fault
of the men who make the appointments. A
part of the debt is probably owing to the
fact that State taxes are taken by officials
for other purposes. This last theory is very
strongly fortified by the figures of their own
settlements. In 1863 they report State
taxes outstanding at $10,2 81. In 1864,
81, ,374 Oh, and in 1865, $6,565 50. This
shows at once that the fault is not with the
people. They have paid in three years an
amount of State taxes equal to all assessed
within that time and $3,70S 25 besides.
This view is further strengthened by the
other figures of these official settlements.
| In 1863 they report as due to Bedford coun-
ty from old collectors and other sources
$12, ,061 16. In 1864 they report SIS, ,039,
| S4, and in 1865, including old debts due for
bounties, the sum of $21, 1888 05. These
figures exhibit degree of personal or polit-
1 1dfOi1llouls VI CA4AuAuaA uOAoJ1 hOSAOO0J
mismanagement or waste truly startling to
the people.
Another small matter may be gatheredfrom
/ these official settlements. In settling the ac-
counts of the Treasurer in 1868 they report
in his hands and due the county 81, ,837 49,
In 1864, they report balance due county $3,-
SIC II, and in 1865 50, ,2SO 81. When it is
recollected that at each of these dates the
county was terribly in debt, and just at that
particular time this interest was being COM
pounded, it might not be strange if some per-
sons should be surprised that so much money
was in the Treasury.
There are many other suggestions fairly
made by these official settlements. For the
present it is enough for the people to know
that they owe a debt of nearly $4,000, which
must be paid, and the very existence of which
has been carefully concealed from them by
the officials of the county. The people viii
be able to make their own conclusions and to
apply the proper remedies.
|
| 1s,,,n,, -. =. n NJ. r.. -