The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-26
TOWN BILLS.
How Taxes are Doubled
Have we q Tweed King
Among UsD

week. AS to their intentions we have
nothing to say. 1t is their acts that we
propose to deal with. Whether intending
to rob the people or not, they committed
a greater fraud on the public treasury in
proportion to the amount than ever Tweed
did.
They pretended to examine and audit
bills against the people. They did not
audit any bills, but they charged 81 each
for not auditing them. They had a right
to charge $3.50 each, provided they per-
formed the duties of the position. What
does auditing ILLS mean? 1t means, l,
the auditing board shall ascertain if the
articles or service charged are proper and
legal charges against the town, 2, if the
service or articles which are legal and
proper have been performed or furnished
3, if the charges are at such figures as are
authorized by law, and, 4, if the aggregate
footing of the bills is correct
What did they do? They came togeth
er, said they guessed the bills we're all
right, and went away again. They never
attempted to ascertain whether the bills
we're in accordance with any law. ancient
or modern
Just look at tie town clerks bill, pub
lished in Saturdays ARGUS. He charges
50 for one day writing election notices, So
more for one day delivering the same no
tees, and $3.50 more for his horse and
wagon to deliver the same notices, making
$3.50. What does the law allow him? 1t
allows him 25 each, no more no less, and
neither the law or the people care wheth-
er he goes on foot or horse back.
There were eight officers elected last
spring, and . the law allows him rs cents
each for notifying them of their election -
50 in all, He has charged $3.50.
For every paper fled in his office he has
charged one day 50. He is only entitled
to charge 10 cents.
For every copy Of any paper furnished
he has charged one day 81 He's entitled
to charge cents for every one hundred
words
For every paper recorded he has charge
ed one day, 50. He is entitled to charge
only 8 cents for each one hundred words
He has charged 81 day for talking with
the commissioners of highways. There
is no warrant of law for any such charge
He has charged So day for writing fol
the commissioners of highways. He is
not authorized to do their work or tc
, charge the town for it.
' His bill is $50 20 as allowed. Legally
it will probably be less than ten dollars!
: Personally we have no quarrel with tht
town clerk. He is good enough officer
] as far as we know, in the performance O
f his duties. But his bills are enormous
D outragcs, perpetrated on the people,
: Heretofore the Office of town clerk gener
n ally paid about ten to twenty dollars
year. Here is bill of 5000 for it'll
over three months making the ofic
worth some $500 year. The service i
: merely nominal, and the legitimate, homes
fees would not amount to more than $25 t
= $50 for the whole year.
: Then look at the assessors bill 1t
=. double what the law warrants. We hav
- nothing to say against Mr.. Philleo as
man or an officer. His duties are we
performed,-as well, probably, as the
ed could be by any man in town. 1t is not
Z. question of what his services are wort
r The opinion of the auditing board is of 7
ad consequence on that point. They have I
ty discretion in the matter. They have l
al right to have any opinion in their ofici
N, action. They are governed. arbitrarily,
ct the law. Whatever the law allows tn,
ed must allow,-not a cent more or less.
in is their business to require evidence, sat
Re factory to them, they can rerequire afiday
ed to all bills if they choose as to the number
lis days service rendered.and then apply Il
I'D law. Nor has Mr.. Philleo any claim beyol
ny what the law allows. He knew what p
all the law allowed, and he solicited the OF
nd ce with that knowledge. IF he did n
Mo intend to peform the servics as requir,
IN by law, he should not have taken the offic
The act Of 1872, Sec SO, provided tn
he the town board might fix the compensate
INT of assessors,-but in the Revised Statute
he. passed March 4,lS74, that provision seer
he to have been omitted, and in place of
or Art. XIV. Sec /, it is only provided tn
assessors shall receive $3.50 day. 81
NE 90 of the act of 1872 if not repealed, is
he conflict with the act of 1874. in viii
case it would seem that the later act shou
govern.
. The auditors have no right to rob the tire
sury for his benefit or their own, TIL
allowed themselves 50 day. The law
ng lows them only $3.50.
And now we suppose the auditing boa
nat and the town officers will say, "What a
iut you going to do about it?' That's VIII
arr Tweed said. We propose to expo
ru- the fraud perpetrated on the pub
rts treasury. hoping that the peol
Vi will take measures to protect their ca
box and put out of Office those who rob t
'e' treasury. THE ARGUS has performed
duty when it exposes the robbery or m
tba use of the public funds IF the people
ley the town choose to submit to 1t and go
bic electing incompetent or dishonest men
en- Office, aud allow them to levy a
Sl, amount Of taxes thew nlease and the, "a