The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1876-12-28
A Years Record.

Almost one year ago, when the present County
BOARD come into Office, wrote as follows:
If they carry through their term successfully and
seement they will accomplish grand thing
At the time we wrote the above, in view of the
financial situation of the County, and the coudi-
tioa of the people, we believed that the very best
the new Board could do, in two years, would be
to keep up their own end, and redeem outstand-
ing warrants sufficiently to bring County scrip
back to par. But less than one year has passed,
snd they have more than accomplished the task
that we allowed them two years to perform. A
year ago, there were floating County warrants,
with no money to pay them, amounting to
over $4,000. registry of warrants was kept
in the Treasurer's Office, in which holders were
required to register their scrip in order to be
sure of their pay, and to receive their money
only when their turn came. The best price that
could be got for scrip was IS cents on the dollar
and much of it went still lower than that.
A year has passed since then, and what do we
hndf That $l2y 900 of floating scrip is taken mp
the warrant register lies unused, and for more
than a month past all warrants have been cash.
ed upon presentation; and to-day County war
rants are worth just much a greenback dol
lar. Perhaps the people will think they have
been taxed higher, to accomplish this. If 50,
they are mistaken there. Last year, the levy
for County purposes was one dollar on the hun
dred dollars; this year, with smaller assessed
valuation in the County. the tax for County pur-
poses is only ninety cent on the dollar-a reduc-
tion of ten cents on the dollar in one year, with
prospect of its being much lower next year.
Those persons who complain of high tax, must
look, for the cause of it, to the Township and
school taxes. These are what make taxes heav-
ier. The Township taxes are nearly all much
heavier than last year, in consequence of most Of
the bridges having been swept away by high wa
ters, during the last Summer.
Besides freeing the County from its floating
debt, and reducing the County tax, the Board
have built several costly bridges over the larger
streams. But in looking over their doings, ont
notable change will be observed. The County is
no longer one vast pauper house, and bill
against the County are not invited, and allowed
without scarcely looking to see what they are
The allowances for paupers outside of the poor.
house, are very few, and these in cases where il
would be a hardship to the individuals and no
saving to the County to send them to the poor
house. Several persons who were receiving ex
orbitant quarterly allowances fur supporting &
special class of paupers, have been CONVINCED
that they can support them for just one-half the
amount; and scores, we might say, who were liv-
ing on County aid, when given to understand
that if the County had to support them, they
must 60 to the County poor-house, have made
the discovery that they can support themselves
We might add that, in addition to what the
Board have been able to do after paying debts and
reducing taxes, they have built an addition to
the poor-house, making it more comfortable, and
enlarging the capacity for keeping paupers.
Could any three men have been found in the
State of Kansas, who would have managed Coun-
ty affairs better, or have brought such order out
of financial chaos, and at the same time reduce
the peoples taxesi