The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-05-31
albang 8ister.
LOCAL MATTERS.


tinanciering ability oftle Democrat
officials ofLinn county, we propose I
give an outline Of the principal tinar
cial operations that they have engil
eered during the time they have s
economically administered the count
business. Not so long ago but on
citizens can remember its elegant an
attractive appearance, the Democrat
county administration Thought it he,
esSary to haye fence erected aro,m
the Court House block; and as I'll
Court House was an elegant structure
erected under a Republican admins
tFatietf, IL was determined that th
fence, ifanything, rs one of the Com
nissioners expressed 1t, should b,
more ''eleganter." Bids were adver
tised for, received and opened. whel
it was found that the lowest bid
(which was for a picket fence. post.
end pickets with turned tops. all to bt
nicely painted for the snm of 81, 75D},
was by Republicans. This thing Of
letting Republicans get away with the
county work under Democratic adj
ninistration couldn'tbc thought of for
a moment, and 1t was resolved to
Change the programme ut once, The
bids advertised for were thrown aside.
Jerry briggs was asked quietly to put
Ia a bid for a chain fence. OF course,
ferry put in bid at once, and he was
ordered to 60 ahead with the work.
Tie result was the erection of that
splendid chain fence, which was neitil-
er ornamental OF useful, Mt q cost OF
=, 25O in gold coin. Il was usually
denominated the graveyard" fence;
and the jokes cracked over That fence
at the expense Of our able County
Commissioners, by members of their
ewn party, soon caused our eminent
and wise financial county adniniytra
ton to order it>to be removed, and
The present picket fence to be erected.
at a cost OF $3.50 more. in gold coin.
Total cost of fence, $1,000; could
Lave been built originally, and in
lauch better style, at u cost Of $l,75O,
a sariag to the county Of ST.
80! Further evidence of the wise,
iulicioHs and honest policy Of these
h.anrially gifted agents of the county
hight be deemed unnecessary; but as
we deem it our duty to give Demo-
Gratis, even Democratic officials. praise
v hen they richly earn it at our hands.
we will mention another evidence of
their skill in financial matters. Twen-
Ir-iiye hundred dollars we're loaned by
Hilr county officials, and a mortgage
AIKEN to secure the note, on certain
mill on the tlubid waters of the San
sam. As neither principal or interest
nas forthcoming when the note be-
1me due, the mortgage was forclosed,
nd the mill became tile property OIL
Inc county. Sometime afterwards the
iounty officials, these wise tiiIanciers,
old the mill for II, 800, although there
yasa standing offer Of $4,000 in coin
efore them for the mill. Here was
ring. in this way:
Money loaned :. $50.
Interest on same tor three years, $50.
Total amount dne The county, a. 400
Money received for the mill. :. .Sl,JG0.
Loss of the county. .sI,90o.
Here it will be seen at once is a Sar-
Jof nineteea hundred dollars. OF
@!irse tile citizens Of Linn county.
'pecially Democrats, will feel proud
# the record Of their county officials;
.eir fitness for Office, thein large f.
iancial ability, their watchfulness
'ver the interests of ogr people can
lot fail to earn for them tie unani-
nous encomiums Of all! We might
MENTION other little matters that show
ionclusively that We have been favor
ID with great and exhaustive ability
n the fiiianskts management of our
;ounty affairs. For instance, we lave
~ elegant ten tholssand dollar iron
Ind Jail. Mr.. Jones says in his
ifcciieS tilat the Only fault about the
all matter l., 1t didn't cost enough.
Veil, this IS certainly an honest view
+ the matter. and very unexpected.
90. But there are many good citi-
ms in Linn county who honestly be-
eve that ten Thousand dollars /, r,th-
: a large amount Of lnoney to pay for
building that has proved 80 inef-
cienr and utterly worthless for the
nrposes for which it was erected.
Incidentally we might mention the
Ict that, after our county officials
ere thoroughly convinced that d
'gc mistake had been made in the
II affair, they advertised for bids to
construct the new ten thousanitlOllar
i. After the bids were opened it
as found that the lowest bids were
1t in by Republicans! Here was a
lemma. But these wise men, these "