The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-09-16
H. Niles Moore Offers Some SEN
sib!e Suggestions Oh this
Subject.
lie is In Favor Of the County
coming Down TO q Cash
Basis.

4 SeA Wy D>os AASAa, sAiSoS VIM OF HOiS-tl
capable, energetic, who understand and
are fully alive to the importances Of this
all absorbing question and with no selfish
purposes to subserve. Let bill he prepar-
cd, covering the following propositions Of
reform and economy, similar as far as the
circumstances will permit to our City
Charter. Of course it must be a general
Law, applicable to all counties in the State,
or if that is impracticable at present, let ii
apply to counties having a population CT,
say twenty-five or thirty thousand inhabi-
tants, the same as population is required in
cities Of the first or second class.
The first question to be disposed Of, is to
absorb or get rid of the large floating deb:
of the county. This can only be done lin
our present financial status), by bonding the
same, Us it would be impracticable 10 in
crease the levy sufficient to take it up, by
paying it off in cash. / am aware that
there is law at present on our statute
books, authorizing this very step
to be taken. But OF what rrac-
teal use is the law, if holders
Of county warrants will not avail them.
selves Of its provisions The law should be
SO amended that it will be for the interest
OF those parties holding county warrants to
bond them, OF put them in judgment; We can
be no worse of by the latter course than we
now are, as will presently show. Ii the
| floating debt cannot be bonded ut seven per
cent. interest, let the interest be increased
to eight per cent. per annum; bonds pay
able in ten years, with coupons attached,
payable annually, each coupon being for
one-tenth of the principal and interest in
cluded, the same plan as was adopted by
the city in 1874, except the city's interes;
was seven per cent. per annuIn. Let each
fiscal year pay its own Indebtedness, and
levy no tax to pay for the previous years
outstanding warrant Indebtedness. If We
pay cash as we go, there will be no out
standing warrants after the first year and
If holders of warrants will not bond them,
they may sue the county, and the judgment
will only draw seven per cent. We have to
pay them, anyway. Most holders will bond
4, their warrants. At all events we shall dry
up this cancer upon the body polite, which
is eating out our very vitals the credit sys-
tenn, and the ring Spectators in county
scrip, who like vultures feed and grow fat
upon the misfortunes OF our people to
whom the county necessarily becomes in
debted, to carry on its legitimate business.
II the present levy of taxes for a general
fund i'll the county is not sufficient, let it be
increased; il will not need to
be increased but a little, and then only for
a year or two, until the county gets upon {.
cash basis, as thousands of dollars can be
saved each year, not only to the county,
but TO the officers, employees and the poor
men who are obliged TO sell their warrants
or certificates OF Indebtedness at any price
they can get. l am informed that the
county is more than twelve months behind,
and that ii is growing worse each year. This
sort Of financial management would bank
rupt any corporation or individual in the
country. That no warrants can be drawn
upon the County Treasurer, till after the
first OF January, in each year. and then only
to pay the past years Indebtedness, and
that at the end OF sixty days all the money
that has accumulated in the treasury from
taxes is expended and the county must run
on tick for the succeeding ten mon hs, and
that at a tremendous sacrifice, the Clerk
only issuing certificates of Indebtedness, not
even the poor apology Of a warrant. This
state Of affairs should cease. In the year
1873, there was about Sl3S, 900 of city scrip
issued. In the year 1874, there was about
$4,000 issued, and every dollar was paid,
promptly in cash, by the Treasurer. Near
~ SIOO, 600 saved in one year. The same
will be the case this present year, 80 far as
believe the same plan can be adopted in
the county. The county to-day pays at
least 3Si per cent. more for what she re-
quires than the city does, simply because
she does business on deprecated credit
system.
Again, as the bonds Of the county come
due from time to time, instead Of levying a
sinking fund each year, (of this sinking
fund l will speak presently let the law be
so amended that the county may issue re-
funding bonds to the holders Of the ma.
tuned bonds, said new bonds 10 6raw ten
per cent. interest per annun, payable, say
in fifteen years, with coupons attached,
payable annually, said coupons each being
forione fifteenth of the principal, and in
terest included, in the same manner rs the
city does. would further amend the law,
that in the event the holders of the bonds,
or coupons, or both, or even holders of
county warrants, or certificates of indebted
ness, refused to bond them, as above pro-
vided, but preferred to sue the county and
obtain Judgment upon them, the county
board should only be compelled to levy
one-ffth of the judgment in each year
until the sum was paid, this last
provision would be an improvement upon
the present City Charter. Most holders OF
matured bonds and warrants would rebond
them instead Of sueing upon them. Had
this plan of paying one-ffteenth or one
twentieth of each bond as the case may be,
together with the accrued interest, each
year, been adopted ten or fifteen years
ago, the bonded debt of the city and coun-
~ together would to-day not have exceed |
ed 100000. Again, We would have avoid |
ed that curse of all municipal corporations,
an accumulation of sinking fund in their |
treasury. 1t has been the bane of this city
and county, "a many are too well aware, a |
fat fowl upon which all hungry vultures |
Toasted and were never filled. Again, l |
would have the county law 90 amended,
similar to the city, that it should be a pc
nal ofense for any member of the County 1
Board, or county officer to be interested in |
any contract to which the county was a
party, or for any member of the County
Board to vote for any claim or contract, or
for the president of the Board to sign any
warrant or contract to do work for the |
county or furnish supplies, unless the mon
ey was in the treasury at the time, to pay
for il. Any member of tie County Board
violating any Of the provisions Of the law
should be personally liable, as we'll as his
bondsmen, and should in addition thereto,
be fined not exceeding . thousand dollars,
before any court of competent jurisdiction,
and may be suspended from Office by the
same court. Any elector of the county
might maintain a civil action in his own
name in any court of competent jurisdic-
lion against any member of the County
Board or County officer for a violation of
he Law, and it should be made the special
duty of the County Attorney to see that the
law was faithfully carried out.
The County Treasurer, under the direc-
Ion of the Board, should be required to de-
posit the funds of the County, daily, with
,one banker who would execute bond to
he County to secure the funds and pay the
argest amount of interest dpon daily bal
.nces, and make . monthly statement to
he County Clerk, of the condition of the