The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-10-08
THE RELIEF BONUS.
What Will Sedgwick County Do


ton presented TO them, the board of
county commissioners, on Monday
last, submitted the question TO the
people of Sejswick county of vot-
ing $1,000 in bonds for the relief of
the unfortunate, and Of those rendered
destitute by the laic visitation of
grasshoppers or locusts.
This question of bonds should have
the serious and honest consideration
Of every taxpayer in the county. The
practical phase of the problem is just
this and nothing more: Shall we is
sue these interest bearing bonds TO be
paid at time in the future when we
have grown more able, or shall we al
low county scrip to be issued in such
quantities as to render it worthless al
most, and TO the extent that nobody
will receive it for supplies except at
ruinous discount: and which at the
last will be bought up by spectators
to be hawked abou. at forty or fifty
cents on the dollar There is but one
other horn to the dilema, those who
are able must go down into their peck
cts and help such out of the cou,ty as
cannei get out, or help TO keep them
here through the winter. Evidently it
would be more just and equitable that
all bear their proportion Of the bur-
den, relative to the amount of proper
ty they Cwn, and the taxes they pay.
Nobody should. he allowed to starve or
really suffer, and to furnish the proper
relief, money must be had in one way
or another.
| The law under which the PROPOSE
ton is submitted. is SO carefully drawn
and hedged about that it is simply i'm
possible for either the board of county
commissioners, overscer of the poor,
or township trustees, to squander any
of the funds realized from the sale of
bonds. Every report of the officer at
fording the relief must be sworn to,
every item of relief given, and every
application must be made under oath.
and any officer or party guilty of vio-
lating the provisions of the act shall be
adjudged guilty ola misdemeanor and
punished by imprisonment in the pen
itentiary Besides no officer is allow
ed any compensation for his services
under the act.
Aswas stated last week, the COM
missioners had made levy for the
poor fund In case the bonds carry, it
is the intention of the board to sell
but two thousand dollars at time,
and to stop selling the moment they
can see the way through.
We are opposed to the issuance OF
bonds upon principle, but when ii pre-
scnts itself as matter of strict econo-
nv: when il mast be either bonds for
money or two dollars of scrip for ev-
cry dollars worth of relief furnished
by merchants and dealears; when
specuiators in county script are
going around discouraging such is
suance that they may reap big har-
vest by buying up the counties paper
at half its face, then are we for bonds.
What eight thousand dollars in money
would buy in the way Of provisions,
could not be purchased for thirteen or
| fhnnDa,,I ri
saving of four or five thousand dollars,
besides saving the credit of the county.
Many of the parties who have re-
ceived aid from the county have Civ
en- their obligations to pay back with
| lawful interest, we are informed by
the overseer of the poor.
If there was any way for the trust
ees and oversecr of the poor to ignore
the claims of the needy, and if there
was any way for the commissioners to
creep out of paving the bills in scrip,
then the money shark and hard-heart-
ed might say as matter of economy,
issue neither bonds or scrip. But
there is no such way. Under their
oaths of Office they must obey the law
which resolves the whole question to
one of bonds and ready money for
relief or deprecated scrip and a ruin
ed credit.
| Under the enabling act referred to
township trustees can command the
labor of any to whom aid is furnished
to the full amount upon any public
highway, bridge or public work, at
one dollar per day.
1t is the opinion of many of our
most observant citizens that not more
than half the proposed amount will be
necessary. Ifthat should prove TO be
correct. then not more than half the
bonds will be issued. Besides the re-
lief TO be furnished under the new law
is much more closely guarded aud
harder TO obtain them under the old
law. where scrip is issued TO pay the
bills.
We are for the bonds simply as a
matter of economy to the county, and
the above propositions are offered TO
those who have not thought of the
question in the light presented.