White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1866-08-02
The County Board.

tho ~bung-hole and spigot" system Of
economy which seems to have beer, sdup.
ted BY our County Board :; and mention
ed the circumstance. that after ordering .
certain publication in the Chief and the
Reporter. they cut the bills down to half
the price allowed by LAWN fact. came
within su ace Of repudiating them out
right. We have heard Of few more
specimens of their style Of doing business.
There is hole in the jail-house wall.
through which one could sling yesrling
calf by the tail. A batch Of prisoners
recently escaped. and the Jail is unfit to
keep any prisoners. The cell Of Jail is
the part 10 which prisoners are usually
locked for greater safety; but in our
County Jail. they ere locked out of the
cell for the same purpose. This fact was
laid before the Board, at their last meet
ing. but they took no action iu the mat
ter! If prisoners are to be kept securely.
they must be sent to another County. or
guard employed to watch them every
night. Which would be the cheaper. in
the long run-to make the jail secure. or
pay the expense Of guards! But, per-
haps. the Board intend to apply their
system of economy in this case, and re-.
pudiate the bills of those standing guard.
There is very prevalent belief that a
certain County Board will be indicted at
the next term OF the Court.
The next thing issomethiug else. The
tax law requires every person to give in.
and swear to, list of his or her personal
property. And the law relative to Coun.
ty Boards Of Equalization. does not au-
,horizs them to neddle with personal
property taxes. but confines their powers
to real estate. It is to be presumed that
the members of the County Board listed
their personal property. and made oath
to it; and they ought to understand the
law. Yet. in the proceedings Of the last
session. at which they cut down printers
and coffin makers bills. it is recorded
that the Board /" Ordered that the assess
ment Of j. P. johnson. on personal pro-
= .
| perty. be reduced 1858 !" and Ordered
that the assessment of Hugh Robertson
on personal property. be reduced $780,
Here are two men who. after giving in
and making oath to their personal prop
erty, assume the authority. as members
Of the Board Of Equalization. : to reduc,
the amounts listed by themselvss-whicf
they have no authority to do under tht
law. There is public economy for you
One member votes some $50 of take,
from the assessment roll back into biz
own pocket, and another member vote,
abopt $40 into his-ana they inst abou
make up the amount to the County. BY
repudiating printers and undertaksrs
bills. ~ 5+r.. ia.. .lst d. sc.r
There is still something else. Th'
President of the Board declared that "il
was OF no use" to publish report of the
transactions of the Board in one of ths
County papers. and thereupon ths Board
decided not to do SO. We ask the pray.
erful attention of the Board to the frs,
section of an act passed by the Legisla.
turs, at the session Of ls65. and which
still remains in force -
IN ACT TO REGULATE COUNTY AFFAIRS.
Be 1t enacted By the Legislature Of the Stas Of Kansas:
SECTION l.. That the Board of County Com
missioners shall cause to be published state.
ment, at the close Of every regular or special
meeting, OF all sums of money allowed. and fol
what purpose, and to whom issued, said state
ment to be published once in some paper OF
general circulation in the County. They shall
also publish q statement of the estimate of ex.
pendtures for the various purposes upon which
they based their levy of tax for the various
purposes ofrevenue. They shall also require
the County Clerk, at the close of every regular
session, to publish statement showing the
amount of County Indebtedness; also the
amount Of all outstanding County warrants;
also the amount redeemed and cancelled at
any meeting of the Board. a,
Approved February llth, 1865. .,--
The law says these things shall be
done-not that the Commissioners NAV
do as they please about it. Every other
County Board in the State think it is o,
some use to obey the laws, and accord.
ingly publish their proceedings regularly.
Did the members of our Board, when
they entered upon the duties of their of.
fees. take an oath to obey the laws !? or,
did they omit that likewise. as "of NO
use ?". - aad 49, III :s.oa ass
Truly. we have wise Board. We
expect to hear, after their next session,
that they have commenced reversing the
decisions Of the Supreme Court.
~ The st. Joseph Herald boasts
that vote was recently taken on the
cars, on the Platte Country Railroad,