The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-09
Nil ca wrieht's Penuriousness.

=
Two years ago the board of supervisors
perpetrated neat little swindle on this
paper by getting us to make bid for . :,
publishing their proceedings under the
agreement that only one paper in the
county should be appointed for that
purpose. Our bid was the lowest, but the
board went square back on the agreement
and passed an order authorizing payment
to all the papers in the county-at our bid.
We Immediately gave notice that the board
having violated its own agreement we were
absolved from any obligation and should
not publish their proceedings except at
the old rate which former boards, for many
years, had allowed. The Union pursued the
same course, That board of supervisors
not only cut the caper here detailed, but
| it refused to allow our bill for publishing
the proceedings Of one meeting which was
strictly in accordance with the old contract,
| The next board renewed the old contract,
viz: $25 a session to THE ARGUS and the
Union and everything furnished was publish
ed, that year.
The present board allowed itself to dis
turb that old and well.settled agreement,
at the instance of Sup'r Wright. of Rural,
whose notions of economy were only large
enough to include any act that crowds
! down public print and keeps information
from the people. He signalized his public
career by introducing resolution to allow
800 year without reference to the num-
Der of meetings The number of meetings
being never less than FIVE. and sometimes
, more than that, THE ARGUS declined to
enter into any such blindfold arrangement,
preferring to wait for the election of a
board having a better sense of
right and wrong. and one which is not so
anxious to keep information from the peo-
pie or compel newspapers to work for no.
. thing The sum of $25 session scarcely
pays for setting the type, but the niggard-
~ ly proposition of this board would actually
compel the newspapers to lose money on
4 their work.
= But Supervisor Wright is one of the
is kind of people who never learn anything,
J. and still aoheres to the idea of keeping the
lie people in the dark. Last week, Lewis
k Wilson, ESQ.,. of Rural, published a very
lie sensible letter calling on the board to dc
IN its duty in regard to financial statement
k of county matters, as required by law
The attention of the board had severa
times previously been called to this neglect
It but either from a want IF ability to do il
s or from some other cause it has not com
ct Piled with the law, and every member il
ty liable to prosecution for this neglect, if any
t. body cares to prosecute them. Mr. Wilson
ii also asked that the board report the full
o, amount of fees received by each count.
ne officer and the full expenses of each Office
lis In accordance with the request, on Tues
i'll day, Supervisor Kerr presented the follow
On ing resolution and moved Its adoption:
a. Resolged, That the finance committee of thi
board be directed to make complete hnancia
statement of the fiscal standing of the county, a
required by law, and publish the same in the coun
ty papers, for the information Of the people, also
complete statement of the receipts and ex .endture
nm of each county office.
!. On motion of Supervisor Dart action wa
nd deferred until Wednesday morning, at l
on o'clock.
of On Wednesday morning as the recor
an reads:
a. he resolution of Supervisor Kerr, offered yeste
ran terday, in regard to the financial statement al
T which was deferred for action until this morn1D
3. was called up for action.
not Supervisor Wright moved an amendment
Supervisor Kerr's resolution that the statement
be published in one more of the Rock Island eoun
ind pepse. Amendment carried and original mott
ra- adopted as amended.
ola What Supervisor Wright would THU
rrv unreasonable expense" people can CUES
49, from his former action. The usual rat
,r;i charged the people by newspapers for SUI
IVA work are printed and published, and are
we'll known as rates of railroad fare, a.
beyond that no charge can be made. b
Supervisor Wright probably expects new
AM paper offices to work for the county y
law nothing and find themselves. II
ting ARGUS is in favor of economy and Fl
the dealing, and always has been. but it is I
Jays in favor of requiring anybody to serve t
e is public at any less rate than individuals 6
GRAFT served Mr.. Whitney, of the Bure
.lity County Herald, informed US that I
nps. board Of supervisors in that county ke
mo- nothing back from the people; that all
city ports, ETC. were published and that I
only board paid one hundred and fifty dollars
the session for the work. No paper in t
, as county desires anything beyond the
he and well settled rates which Supervi
de- Wright caused this board to disturb, a
ures which the next board if it is wise will
rom store.
9 is If any report shall be made, in acco
any ance with Supervisor Kerr's resolution
will probably be hidden from the peoI
il to or published in such an obscure way t
the only few will ever see it.
A Supervisors idea of Lowering Hi
self
hoii On Monday the board of supervis
met, and the chairman, Supervisor CIR
a''o ell, being absent, Supervisor E. P. Fe
=, ter, of Canoe Creek, was appointed CHI
ma man pro tenn. Supervisor Dart mad
oneS verbal report in regard to the swindle e