Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-03-23
THE TOWN FINANCES.

by the Board Of Trustees to attend the
meeting of the Board, on Monday evening
next, and express their views as 10 the
propriety Of levying the one-half per
cent. tax. authorized by the special statute
which is published on the first page OF the
News. We have heard but little said
upon the subject, thus far; but what ex-
pressicns we have heard have been in favor
Of the tax. Our town bonds are to be
met and as the ordinary tax will not meet
them promptly az maturity, it is better
both for the present credit of the town and
the permanent benefit Of the finances Of
the corporation, that the money be raised
now BY direct taxation, than that money
to meet the bonds should be borrowed, at
high rate of interest, and the debt there
by increased. Our taxes are comparative
~ light, and the financial condition of the
town is generally believed to be sound.
1t is only matter of belief however, as
the actual condition of affairs is necessari-
" the most profound of mysteries to every
citizen outside the Board; and it is by no
means a sure thing that the Board itself is
individually or collectively any wiser upon
the point than other people. 1t is univer-
sally admitted that the Board Of Trustees
of the Town of Gold Hill are as honest
and well-meaning body Of men as ever
took upon themselves the thankless job of
managing the affairs of a corporation.
This fact renders it extremely unpleasant
to allude to their manner Of doing busi-
ness in other than Aattering terms. They
are all taxpayers, whose interests and in
clinations are all in favor Of conducting
the affairs of the corporation in the best
and most economical manner. That they
have endeavored to do so is admitted by
every one who alludes to the subject. We
have heard neither waste, extravaganza or
bad management attributed to them in any
particular. There is but one fault found
with them, and that is fault Of omission
and not Of commission. 1t is the manner
IN which the reports of the condition Of
the town finances have been prepared-or
more properly speaking, the manner in
which they have not been prepared. Here,
as well as everywhere else, the small sums
which are paid as taxss are those which
are most grudgingIy disbursed. Men who
waste dollars and hundreds Of dollars
every month, in needless extravaganza, or
give it away in charity or lose it by
bad debts, without giving it a thought,
grumble and growl over every dollar of
money paid for taxes, and make thou
sand inquiries as to "what becomes of all
the money!" They demand the strictest
account from those in whose hands the
public monies are intrusted; and are
prone to indulge in hints, surmiSes and
inuendoes Of mal-appropriation Of the
public funds, without knowing anything
about the matter. It Is precisely because
they don't know anything about it, ths
these complaints are made. 1t is the Boa,
of Trustees that is to blame for this ig-
norsnce Of the people upon a subject
which concerns them so seriously. Moth
ing is easier Cif the books Of the corpora
ton are correctly kept, than for the Board
to be able TO ascertain in few moments
examination the exact condition of the
town finances. That the books are so
kept it is perfectly within the power of
the Board to demand. If they are SO kept,
nothing can be easier than for the Presi-
dent to publish such e report as the Act
of Incorporation commands that he shall
make. Yet We make the rather unpleas-
ant assertion, and We will be supported in
the declaration by every man who knows
anything about the matter, that there has
not been since the town of Gold Hill was
incorporated, a report published by its
President that came within gun-shot of
the requirements of the law or the expec-
tations of the taxpayers. The only OBJ
ject Of requiring report at all, is that citi-
Gems Of the town may be made acquainted
with the conduc. Of its financial affairs
and the condition Of the Treasury. A
system of laws has been enacted, hedging
the officials within certain line of duty.
That they have kept within those bounds,
we have no reason to doubt; but what
ever of confidence IS felt upon that
point is based upon the known in
tegrity Of the men, and not upon
any showing OF the fact that they
have made as required by law. The law
requires a full statement of all moneys re-
ceived by the town authorities, from whom
received and on wha. account and Of all
moneys paid out and on what account.
Has any such statement been made: Look
at the last quarterly report, on the fourth
page Of to-day's News. That report is
fair sample of its predecessors and yet
after reading it, who is the wiser by the
,housandth fraction of the ghost of an idea:
We are told that in that quarter there were
paid, on certain named accounts, some
thing over ten thousand dollars. We
are satisfied that the money was paid out,
and that the Town justly owed the money.
Beyond that point the whole world are
fully as much in the dark, with regard to
the town finances, as though the report
had never been written. We are not told
whence this ten thousand dollars was de-