The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-02-11
A COWardly Attack

| to the Poor Con- n1lSslOners, because of an
addition Of four thousand dollars to lie
poor expenses, but stands up in defense of
theVillage Board of Manitowoc. that has
more than trippled the village taxation in
the past year by its extravagant expendi-
lures for party favorites and other foolish
purposes Is the public good less effected
In the one case than in the other think
not, and yet what the Tribune denounces
IN the oEa case, it It tries to uphold in the
other. 1t really looks as if the Tribune
would have been on the side of the Poor
Commissioners had they been Republi-
| cans, and had doubled their expenses in
aiding to build up German Republican
newspaper in the interest OF the Tribune s
party in fattening inefficient officers with
! double salaries.
| We copy the above from the commui-
cation signed CT" published in our CO.
temporary of last week. Every reader of
that communication will say that 'sT. :"
virtually admits every charge that has
been made against the Poor Commissions
ers. In order to divert the attention of
| the public from the extravagance-it it
can be called by that name-of the De-
mocratic Poor Commissioners ''T'' makes
counter charges against the Republican
Village officers, by stating that they have
trippled the taxes within the past year,
tor the purpose of adding to build up
German Republican newspaper" and fat
tening inefficient officers with double sal
aries. " ''T'' does not state who this
inefficient officer is, but by his referring
to the German Republican paper. whose
editor, Mr.. Tremel, is Village Treasurer,
we suppose he refers to him. Now let
us see if Mr.. Troemel is an inefficient
officer being fattened with double sala
ries. 3" The charter provides that the
Village Treasurer shall receive a yearly
salary Of not more than eight hundred
dollars. The Board in fixing the salaries
of the different Village officers was of the
opinion that $500 for a good Village
treasurer was not too much, and we be-
lleve every taxpayer in the Village will
sustain the Board when they understand
the matter fully. Under the old Vii
lage charter, the Treasure. received no
regular salary, but instead, certain fees
which brought him an income of from
$500 to 81, 800 year, just in accordance
with the amount Of money that passed
through his hands, fees from the redemp-
ton Of lots sold for taxes, etc., We
have taken the trouble to post ourselves
IN this matter and find that during ten
years of the entire time that Manitowoc
hasbeen Incorporated as aVillage theTrea-
surershave realized from the sources above
an income of more than $500 dollars, and
once as high as $500 when there was
special tax raised Now we ask all candid
men is that paying double salary to the
Village Treasurer? Does not the Village
make money by paying salary and In
stead receive the benefit of all the fees.
Again, under the old charter the Treas
urer was not required to keep Office hours
and had no taxes to collect Now he is
required to be in his office six hours each
business day. Except when he is collecting
taxes) and in addition has to collect the
taxes which formerly was done by another
officer. Now the facts are as shown above,
that the Village Treasurer under the
present charter has mole duties to per-
form and receives on an average less pay
than he did when he received no salary
but fees, as under the old regime. AS
far as the ineficiency is concerned, the
tax payers who have dealing with Che
Village Treasurer, can judge fer them
selves, and we only venture the assertion
that Mr.. TrGmel makes just as good an
officer as the Village, Town or County
has ever had IT'S cowardly assertion
of ineficlency to the contrary notwith-
standing. 1t sh lows to what extremes the
opposition will 60, when it attacks anony-
mously a capable and accommodating
public officer, without reason or provoca-
ton, in order to cover up the dark deeds
Of its friends.
II. - further states that TIE Village
Tax during the past year was trippled.
This is on its face barefaced lie. Every
body knows that not one cent Of Village
tax WAS raised last year. But let us In
vestigate this matter little further. The
Board levied tax of $4,000 this year.
Out of this sum not more than $l2, 900
cash will be received with which to pay,
the interest on the Rail Road Bonds,
amounting to $1,000 to May last part
Of the expenses of last years administra-
ton, because there was no taxes raised;
and in order to keep the credit of the
Village at par, as it has always been, to
pay the expenses of next years admins
tration until taxes are again paid. So
it will be seen that we raised this year
taxes for two years. besides paying inter
est part due on Rail Road Bonds. In
addition to that the General Fund has
had to advance over 800 to pay for
necessary improvements on streets, car
ried away by the great freshet of last
spring, which however will be returned
to the General Fund in another year. To
strike balance, after making the deduc-
ton above mentioned, and which, as all
must admit are in no way a part of the
expenses of the Village government, we
| lind that for two years it has cost Sc, 800
to carry on the Village government under
|
Republican rule or at the rate of So, $50
| year. We don't believe that there is
reasonable man, democrat orrepublican,