Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-11-09

Of November, A. ID. 1871.
r. B. HAYES.
BY the Governor;
ISAAC r. SHERWOOD,
Secretary of State.
RECEIPTS & EXPENDITURES
Since we get no pay for keeping quiet
on the subject of the Auditors Exhibit
of the Receipts & Expenditures for the
past year, we viii try and serve the
interests Of taxpayers by commenting
little thereon. Item first.-Total re-
ceipts for the year ending September
1st, 1871, $3.50 II. Our readers viii
recoIlect that ten years ago it vas
$164, ,2s6 95 or about one-half this sum.
1t is not necessary to say that our
County Is accommodating any great
amount Of money, or that the vaults OF
our Treasury are running over with
funds at the present time, notwith-
standing the collection Of the above
good round sum. On the contrary the
condition of the Treasury in some re-
spects resemble that of the beggar who
was firm In the belief that money was
necessary to keep the Devil out of
pockets. 1t was a severe task for him
10 keep up the shifting Of his single
coin from one pockets to the other
rapidly enough to keep the old prince
from getting foothoId.
CONDITION OF TREASURY.
The County fund, out Of which our
officers draw the larger part of their
salaries, is in debt the trifing sum of
SIC, ,s76 "a. Since our excellent Treas
urer has been handling the money, we
notice that this single fund has increased
alittle over $1s, 900. Question-Ifa fund
increases eighteen thousand dollars In
three years, how long would il take y
County Officer to get rich I? We feel
sorry for shis County fund. We sug-
,gest that it be called a poor fund. It is
like Baaquo's ghost, "It viii never
down." It has been bled by our DEM
ocratic officers until Mark Twain's skel-
etons coming out Of their graves with
their collins on their shoulders, the
wind whistling through their ribs, are
FIT compared with it. Several of the
different Pike funds are largely over
drawn, one of which we will speak
presently.
Balance in Treasury 1855 05. How
much of this is borrowed money, or
how much less this is than the amount
borrowed we do not know. For build
ing purposes we see that there was bOr-
rowed during the year 81 ,245 Sc, and
1t is not probable that it has all been re-
paid. Amount levied last year for
building fund was 81, ,072 SO. This
added to amount borrowed gives $44,-
Sls 80. Amount expended $73, ,7S7 Is;
leaving a sum out Of pocket of over
s2e, 900 instead Of surplus.
EXPENDITURES IN DETAIL.
For Building and repairing bridges
$i5,496 so. We hope to see the time
when every farmer can walk dry shod
over the gentle streamlet that flows at
his door, !and we can travel our by.
ways reminded ofthe passage Of Semi
rsmis through her provinces leveiing
the hills and bridging the rivers that
came in her way. Let us have plenty
of bridges. 16G 70 oi
The building fund over which our
Democratic friends have been so terri
bly, exercised is dosed up In quite sat
isfactory way. They have neglected to
give the receipts of this fund but from
the Auditors books we find that they
reach the modest sum of $73,7S7 Is.
The amount expended foots up $7S,.
TS7 Is. Part Of this has been used in
repaying borrowed money, but We
notice that they have borrowed within
ten thousand dollars as much as they
have paid during the year. We
wish the Auditor had itemized the
amount paid for Brussels carpet fur.
nished our County Infrmary. II
would have looked so well upon paper.
Boss Tweed would never have neglect.
ed that item. sa
Auditors fees and salary-R. NJ.
Clark received during the year as fees
and salary, $4,142 90. Add to this
$3.50 90 as clerk to Commissioners and
$772 90 as Clerk to Auditor, and we
find the total cost Of running the Audi
tors Office to be Sc, 400. We see that
our reference to this affair last winter
: has suggested to Mr.. Clark the pro.
priety Of stating the full amount re-
ceived by him during the year. It is
not only satisfactory TO the people, but
renders criticism unnecessary We
hope Mr.. Bongiey viii be able to do
without an extra clerk, and we feel
confident he win not ask 1t.
Printing bills are respectable as for
merIy: Heaton ,fieeces the County OF
$l.a2s 60. and the other Offices in the
County shares suflcient sum to
make the total cost s2,095 90. Attpr-
ney's fees in Stste cases amount to
$1,000 90.
One small item Of postage for tn
County Offices amounting TO sl41 q is
worthy of notice. Reducing this to let
ter postage it viii prepay 4,76s letters,
or reducing it to postage for printed
matter it viii prepay i,776 pounds or a
two-horse wagon-load. We do not
know whether the cost Of running the
jug line is included in this or not. The
Stationery for County Offices cost 81 $50
43. This probably includes:Ice, Cards,
&c. Tax Refunded sl,251 0S How
much more ought have been refunded