Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-03-15
8eoforo enquirer.
REDF0Rn. PA., FRIDAY. MARCn I5, 500
THE poor HOUSE REPORT.

Ii is with some reluctance that we address
ourselves to the duty of calling public atten-
ton to this report for we believe that an
honest effort has been made by some of the
officers in connection with the institution to
correct the abuses that have so long disgra-
oed the management of the Poor House.
The section Of the act of June 1896, direct
ing the publication Of such reports runs as
follows, viz 'It shall be the duty Of the
directors of the Poor, of the several eoun-
ties in which poor houses are or may be
erected, once in every year, after the ac
counts shall have been audited and settled,
to make out fuH and correct statement Of
their receipts and expenditures for the pre-
ceding year = and it shall be The
duty of such directors annually in the
month of March, to publish such accounts
and statement at least twice in two or more
newspapers, published in such county, &c
We infer, from the above extract from the
law, that the publication OF the reports is in
tended for the information Of those who
have to pay for the whistle. Now we put
the question squarely to the Directors, Audi
tors and Treasurer, whether, such credits
as Merchandise $704l0 Beef $657 A.,
Potatoes Sl1334, Bacon $125.83, Old
Checks S2S5462, Interest $73, Sela-
ries $26420 are fuH statements such
as the law designed. VIII not such
questions suggest themselves to every in
telligent business man of the county, as, Of
whom did they get the merchandise ? What
did they pay for beef, potatoes and bacon ?
Farmers particularly would be interested to
know whether the county pays better pri
ces than Merchants do for such articles as
they naturally have an eye to the best mar
ket. Is ''old checks satisfactory state
ment to any intelligent man for the expen-
diture of $2S52. 90? Is it not reasonable
to ask whose salaries are embraced in the
general item Of Salaries 1884. 20 and what
the amount of each ? That the Directors
felt that they were evading the faithful dis
charge of their duties in giving to the pub
lie such a report, is quite evident from the
following notice appended to it, Persons de-
string further Information IN regard to the
abore reports are referred to tie JooIg Of the
Poor House sohich are open for a3ty one TO
egamjue. What better evidence of a con-
sciousness of guilt in the evasion Of duty is
wanted than this? The Directors knew very
well shat if the design of the law had been
to merely leave the books open for inspec-
tion it would have been so stated and they
would only have been required to give no.
tice that the books were ready for such in
spection, instead Of being required to make
and publish full reports Do the Directors
wish to say to the citizens of the Woodber
ries, who pay large portion of our taxes, if
you want to know how your money was ex-
pended, you can ride 20miles and come and
the same to the citizens of Southampton,
Monroe, East Providence, Londonderry, Ju-
niata and Union Townships? The notice is
not only an evidence Of conscious guilt, but
it is a contemptuous challenge to the pub
lie, whose servants they are, to interfere or
question, ,ifit dares, the manner in which they
discharge their duty We have no doubt
when the time comes round to again elect
men to these offices, the public viii be found
to have taken up the gauntlet of the Direc-
tors and given them leave to stay at home
hereafter until they learn to have some
decent respect for those to whom they owe
the trust they are now abusing