The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-27
THE ANNUAL TOWN REPORT.


now published and ready for distribution;
and, although we have anticipated most of
its contents, brief summary of its con-
tents, comparison with former years, and
running comment thereon may not be
out of place.
The Indebtedness of the town Is placed
at, in round numbers, one hundred and fl
ty-four thousand dollars, against one hun
bred and forty-one thousand dollars last
year. Both Of these sums are to be re-
duced by ''assets" consisting of small sums
of cash in the treasury, due on tax bills,
notes received from sale of town hall lot
and town farm, 80 that, If all of these
sums were and are collectible, the indebt-
edness this year would be Sl44,9l6 SO,
against $132,665 SO last year, an increase
of something over twelve thousand dollars
an increase entirely due to the enormous
poor expenses of the year and the ridicu-
lously small tax voted year ago.
The whole amount of orders drawn by
the selectmen during the year, including
some twelve hundred dollars drawn to pay
old debts, was SO, 344 80, against $32, 7l506
last year, and $l1, l5S.45, the previous
year. OF this nine thousand and odd
dollars, So, s94.s0 were for highways and
bridges-nearly four thousand dollars of
the amount being for the "Greeno bridge"
and road, contracted for by the old board
of selectmen-and SO, 450 10 for mlscella-
neous purposes. The previous year, the
expenditures, or orders drawn, for high
ways and bridges, were $500 CT, and for
miscellaneous purposes $23, 7G5 so. Max
ing the deductions on account Of eSpendi-
lures for old bills and old contracts, and
we find that the expenses for highways and
bridges we're some seven thousand dollars
lees than last year, and that some twenty
one thousand five hundred dollars less
were expended for miscellaneous purposes;
or, deducting cost of new town farm and
the Freeze murder reward, the miscella-
neous expenses of last year we're over sew
en- thousand dollars in excess of those of
the present year.
| The poor expenses have been exception
ally large, and there seems to be no reason
able excuse for the enormous increase of
these expenditures over last year. The
overseers report is anything but satisfac-
tory, and is labored attempt at excuse
and conceslment. He reports that he has
drawn orders to the amount Of sic, 400 GO,
and has "received for sale of produce, etc,
1888 81, making the total expenditure for
the year SIG, 633,80. Admitting this to be
q correct statement, we have an expendi-
ture of nearly sixteen thousand five hun
dred dollars against trifle over nine thou
sand dollars last year, an increase of ST.
465. 40 over last year, which is out of all
proportion and reason.
But his report Of an expenditure of only
$l6, 633.S9 is not correct. The treasurer
reports that he has paid one hundred and
seventy-six "orders drawn by T. II. Coch
"ran, overseer," amounting to $7,5l7. II ;
and the auditors report that there are Or
ders drawn by Cochran, as overseer, out
standing and unpaid, to the amount of
9.177 "a. These two items, taken to-
sether, show that 7. Ii. Cochran, overseer
of the poor, has drawn orders to the
amount of $l6, 6943 5 or $293.73 more
than he reports that he has dra,on. But this
is not all. There were number of orders
drawn by the overseer of the poor, which
the auditors refused to pass, because the
vouchers were not forthcoming, and these
4 added to the other items bring up the or.
ders to the sum total given by us some
days ago, $17,134 As.
Again. The overseer reports, as we
have seen, that he has received ''for sale,of
produce, etc." $233.77. If we turn
back three pages in his report, we find him
telling what good farmer he has been, land
reporting that "the sales Of the farm" fol-
hay, beef, veals, hides, wood, butter and
eggs, shoats and pasturing, were, $67s 95
so that here we have another discrepancy
Of $444 SO. In still another page of his re-
port, he speaks of a sale of ten tons of hay
but as the two items may be the same-al
though different impression 10 endeavor
cd to be conveyed by the overseer, what.
ever the facts may be--we will not con-
slider it. Here then we have discrepancy
of $444. So, which added to the $293. II
before spoken of shows that the expendi
lures have been, at least, $738.31 more
than he reports them, or, for the clever
months, $17,372.20. This amount does
not include the orders drawn prior tc
March z, 1876, the orders for which vouch
ers were not produced, the accounts TO,
which orders have not been drawn, the &C
count of the overseer for services, but only
the receipts and expenditures as appears
from the published report.
There is still another source of expense
to the town-the prosecution of offenses
within the jurisdiction of a justice of the
peace to try and determine, the penalty fol-
which, when fine, is payable TO the treas
ury of the town. This embraces all of
lenses triable by justice except violation
of the liquor and nuisance laws. With Mt
report from the municipal court since Apr
"a, 1876, the fines for the year ending No
vember 80, 1876, amounted to $295. so, ant
the costs to $720. As. OF this amount Their
was collected and paid to the treasure
1928. Ga, leaving balance against the towi
of S496.8l to be reduced, perhaps, by sub
, | eenuenL collections But how much n
this two hundred and odd dollars paid Il
the treasurer was for fines and costs of
previous year, 1t is impossible to tell. Il
the previous year-that ending Decembe
l, 1875-the amount of fines reported wa
$2G700; costs, ss43.44 paid into til