The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-06-14
Taxpayer Again.

In my last letter upon the subject of
County finances. l said that my OBJ
iect in writing was to set the people
thinking, and think / have succeeded.
At any rate have set two of them to
writing.
First comes Justice" and the bur-
den of his article is defense of Mrs.
M. j. Maxon, who furnished the articles
amounting to SCI O5. Now, sir, Mrs.
Maxon needs no defense; every one
who knows her, knows she is not the
person to "put up job, as 'Justice"
styles it. 1 know she has done no
wrong, and 1 also know that she has
done much to help the Wolf family
without charge, and she deserves credit
for it. 1t was not Mrs. Maxon was
after; it was the system of allowing
paupers to do their own trading and
send their bills to the County, instead
of allowing them a certain amount
quarterly, so that they would see when
the purse is getting empty. Here
comes bill for meat, another for wood,
another for rent, etc. But upon this
"Justice" and l agree, and am glad to
know that the Commissioners are of
like mind, for they have stopped the
whole thing.
But Justice is little lame when
he tries to defend the matter of the
hearse for j. w. Russell. He says it
included carriage for Mrs. Russell and
family. The bill on hearse, is for a
hearse and team, but admit that it did
include carriage. Do the hard work
ing taxpayers have to furnish car
riage for person who is able to walk,
to ride inl The cemetery is little
over a mile from Vancouver, and / can
only say that if one of my family was
dead, and l could not afford carriage,
l should expect to walk. Mind you
sir; it is the peoples money that is
spent. The money of people who are
200 more in debt now than they were
year ago, and it stands them in hand
to think. 1t is not right to compel
hard working taxpayers to pay for
luxuries used by others, what the said
taxpayers could not afford for them
selves. Justice" is blind or supposed
to be, and think our Justice" is when
he justities the unwarrantable furnish
ing of hearse, by explaining that
carriage was furnished too-whew..
Please let Justice" tell us by what
authority the hearse and carriage were
furnished. l believe the Commissions
ers are trying to do their duty, as
Justice" says. But gentle reminder
wont hurt; at any rate it will open the
eyes of the people.
/ next came to tie article written by
Mr. NJ. Goodroads. al / must say he
is an enterprising man. He don't care
how nue. the County goes in debt
Indeed, he seems to thinS Il rather a
good thing. During the war Mr.. Jay
Cook tried to make the people think
that a national debt was a national
blessing, but when the dear people had
to pay this revenue tax, and that license,
they thought national debt, if bless
ing at all, was blessing in disguise.
But to Mr.. Cook it was blessing, as
every dollar of debt was little in his
pocket, and he could stand it; aud If
every time a new road was ordered to
be opened Mr.. Goodroads had a little
bill to present, why we could under
stand has argument Says he: 'Give
us good roads, good bridges and good
public buildings if we do have to 90
little in debt for them, they will en-
courage immigration But Occurring
1t public highway, and ordering it to