The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1872-03-14
Written for the Adveselser.
More about County Expenditures.

w,ittcn for the Advefelser.
More about County Expenditures.
Editor Advertiser The report Of |
the DaytQn township investigates
committee published in the ladepcnA
at has 81 last reached the lighs in
this community through your columns.
We think it perfectly right the
committee should have been appoint
ed. Our public officers desire to
have the public know what they are
doing. And the public having en-
ployed them should not be unmindful
Of their official conduct.
1t was manly in the committee to
make the statement showing that their
property was assessed much lower
than their neighbors. This showed
they did not desire to conceal the
truth.
think, however, the committee
ought to have said more with refer
ence to our educational expenses.
They simply tell us the gross amount
Of the expenditure and remark that
they .sare very great" II there are
needless expenditures for educational
purposes they should have told us
where the trouble is and how it can
be remedied. 1t is true that our
expenses for educational purposes are
great. 1t is also true that there are
= great many children to be educated,
and that the educational interest is
one Of the greatest interests the State
has to protect. The people who love
their children and desire their future
welfare chccrfuily vote such taxes on
themselves. For such taxes the pco-
pie receive benefit greater than
would be received from the cxpendi-
turc Of the same amount Of money in
private schools. Some people seem
to forget that when they pay their
| sohOol taxes they are paying for the
tuition Of their children for one year.
If we are spending too much for
school purposes it is our own fault,
for the officers levy only such taxes as
we require them to levy.
The committee seem to find fault
with the Supervisors for having made
what they call unnecessary expcndi-
lures; but they did not give he6gures
to enable the people to Judge whether
the old system is better than the new.
Indeed, / fear they could not have
given the figures, for the old board
did not require semi-annuai state
ment, and such statement was not
made for several years until the
present Auditor came into Office. So
we cannot conveniently compare
expenditures under the two systems
except for the past two years. Daring
the year 1877 the board, under the
new system, expended $ll ,5S2 for
redemption Of bonds and permanent
improvements on the poor farm, while
in 1870 under the old system only
1854 were paid for redemption Of
bonds and other extraordinary expen-
ditures. Yet an examination Of the
records will show that thc total
amount Of expenditures for both years
was nearly the same; thus showing
that under the new system the
ordinary expenditures are more than
"a, 800 less than under the old.
In 1870 the board paid for
attorneys fees, -. 1877 -
In 1871 ........ ......... DOB 10
Showing the new system --
cheaper by 49,. .$424 65
in this one particular. The board
rightly judged that it would be
cheaper for them to employ counsel
who should have the interest of the
county always in view and who
should not take business against the
county, but should endeavor to keep
it out Of unnecessary litigation, and
give such counsel and assistance as
was necessary, and as they could not
do better they agreed to pay $500 per
year. The above figures illustrate
their wisdom. In 1870 the members
Of the board drew ...., $685. -25
ks-. sssvfr@ scsvwcs, wnnc III
Is. they drew only ...... 3.5 30
saving t21l %
1t is true it cost about 800 more to
keep prisoners in 1877 than in 1870.
But is ii not better to employ COM
petent person to keep the prisoners
at $3.50 per week than to hire cheap
man in war times to let them run
away at $50 per week.
Now am not finding fault with the
old hoard, ] only desire that the new
one should not be condemned without
| cause.
Mistakes may happen under any
system, but good officers should. be
sustained.
The old board was very safe for the
transaction of the business Of the
county, and much better than to have
the power too much concentrated, yet
still they made mistakes. In exam
lining the books found one place
where they paid lawyers Fifty dollars
to get Judgment Of three hundred
dollars against a contractor for build
ing defective pier, and afterwards
through system ofslog rolling" gave
him three hundred and fifty dollars in
addition to the judgment, and paid
all the costs on condition that he
would rebuild the pier, which ought
not TO have cost more than three
hundred and fifty dollars.
think the old system was good,
and think the new is just as good as
the old, ane little cheaper.
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