Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-12-19
TERRITORIAL EXPENSES.

A
learn that the current expenses Of
Montana from December 1, 1872, to
December l, 1873, were twenty-eight
thousand eight hundred and eighty
nine dollars. The items for this large
expenditure have not yet been furnish
ed. We confess to an anxiety to see
how this. expenditure was created. 1t
may all be perfectly right and proper
when it is given. But the sum appears
to us to be very large indeed. The only
authorized expense we know of, is the
salaries of the Auditor, Treasurer, SUI
perintendent of Public instruction,
three District Attorneys, and the Peni-
Tertiary. The salaries of the officers
named do not reach nine thousand
dollars, and the Penitentiary certainly
could not have required twenty thous-
and dollars. We thall not denounce
anybody for this large expenditure till
we see the items. The Government of
the United States pays the salaries of
the Governor, Secretary Of the Terri
tory, Judges and Marshal, and not a
dollar is allowed by law to be paid by
the Territory to any Of these officers.
Each county pays the expenses for
Jurors in the Territorial business, and
the Government pays United States
Jurors. The sum reported as current
expenses Of the Territory seems to us
to be very large, and we hope the
Legislature will look carefully into this
little bill, and see if running the Ter
ritory cannot be reduced. We had
hoped, now that all laws allowing ex-
ira compensation did not exist, that a
sensible reduction of the Territorial
debt might be attained, andin ashort
time paid off. In this report publish
ed in the Montanian, the total revenue
from all sources for the year ending
December |, 1873, is sixty thousand
six hundred and fifty one dollars. This
is a very large amount for Territorial
purposes. We do not know how long
the bonds Of the Territory have to run
before they mature, but we know that
they are not due for some time, and
we think that in times like these, that
provision should only be made to pro-
vide for the interest and comply with
the laws regulating the loans, and
enough to pay the salaried officers, and
proper expenses of the Penitentiary.
Any excess over this leads to extrava-
gance in the use of the money Of the
people.
We have no other interest in calling
attention to this matter than to sub
serve the public interest, and relieve
the burdens of the taxpayer. We have
no desire to arraign any public officer
for we have no personal or political
prejudices against any Of the occupants
of Territorial Offices. So far as we
have discerned they discharge their re
Ispectiye duties with fidelity and ca
pacity. But we do insist that our
Territorial expenses should not be ex-
travagant in times like the present,
and all unnecessary expenditures be
Topped off. Retrenchment and econ
omy should be the order of the day
now, and we trust the Legislature,
which is soon to meet. will look care
fully into these matters, and curtail
expenses and have economy in the adj
mlnistration. This is a duty they owe
to the people, and representatives will
best subserve the public interest by a
careful examination of Territorial ex-
penses. Reduce them to a proper
standard, and the counties will be
thereby aided in relieving themselves
Of county Indebtedness. This is an
important consideration, and we do
fervently hope that the members who
go to the Legislature this winter will
WORK, and apply themselves to the
business before them, and not fritter
away the forty days in needless discus
sions, but LEGIsLATE-legislate for
the true interests of their constituents,
and let their labors result in real adj
vantage and good to the Territory.
Do this, members Of the General AS
sembly, and you will receive the COM
mendation Of those who entrusted their
interests to your care.
TIE receipts of the Northern Pacif-
ic railroad for the month of October
were S230,0OO, being a net profit Of
$780, 900. The receipts for November
y