Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-06-01

Deduct from the amounts for the last
three Years the sums returned to the
county treasury by Mr.. Steele, the
county clerk. and the net expense will
be for
Is.5. SO .Ol5 10 loss 81. IS IS. equals $50 $50 ..
49,, s2l, oS2 81 less 4,7ls. %, equsls Is, e3 "A.
Il has required less money to run the
county during our entire present ad-
ninistration, (Which has been in power
three years and five months), than it did
any Il of the single years from 1868 to
1871. The county expenses Tor the foul
years, 1871 to 1874. were S2l6,49l 80;
Tor the four years OF the present admin
~istration they will not exceed S75, 900 90,
| but n little over one-thIrd. We call up
On our brethren OF the press, aud ask
| them if there is another county in the
state which can show such 4 record.
In these hard times. 1t IS pleasant to
know that our county expenses are re-
| duced to i minimum.
50 much for our annual expenditures.
! Unfortunately this does not exhaust the
| question OF our county finances. Dur
| ing the very same period. when our cur
rent expenses We're each year from
| S13,523 10 to 1877 .545 O6. our county
court was piling up n bonded debt.
which, from the close of 1868 to October,
1871, less than three years, ran up to the
! stupendous sum of 1881 200 %, about
500, 900 90 OF which drew 10 per cent.
interest. Here was an annual interest
debt OF 9 10000 % to be met. Just
think OF it; during those dreadful days
they were wringing $780, 900 90 in a sim
| Gle year from our people, who had been
already ruined by a disastrous war. Is
it wonderful that we were nearly crush
ed? What has been done with this
bonded debt There have been cOmpro-
missed. at the rate of from 40 to 81 ceuts
on the dollar, $56S. 800 of principal and
S1l3.:36 of interest. There have been
bought during the last three years, at
an average rate Of 81 cents on the
dollar, $3.50, go OF these bonds, beside
the interest which had accrued upon
them. There are now outstanding I'M
compromised. 1923, 80 with an accrued
Interest upon them of S29, 72j. When
the entire issue of bonds shall have been
compromised, tas they will be without
doubt). the debt will be reduced to about
S72u,OO0 upon which the interest at six
per cent. will be $43, 200 less than one
half of what it was iou years ago. We
have now to raise q little over $50 900
a year against $3.50. 900 in 1869.
Four years ago we had Il bonded debt
of 4 million of dollars, the interest upon
which was $50, 600. Our county ex,
penses were running from S43.0l9 30. tc
S97 .54s O6 a year. Our county levy iol
tax was from 81 06 to So 20 on the
hundred. Our floating warrant debt wa!
in the neighborhood of 5000. Now
4 little more than 300. 600 covers oul
bonded debt, the interest upon which j:
$40, 900. Our annual county expense
has been reduced to less than $19, 900
Our county levy for tax tor all purposes
bonds, roads, poor house criminals, Off
GERS, &c. isonly 80 cents or the hundred
~lollars. Our floating warrant debt ha
al been paid. and there is money in tn
treasury to meet every warrant as sool
IS it is issued.
What IL change! To what is it due
The explanation is simple. We hav
prudent, wise, economical men at th
p head of our county administration; me
l who are true patriots, who work tor tn
e good OF the people, who realize tina
7 they are the servants OF the public. !
: is our belief that we you'd search il
{ vain to find a county in any state. who's
juficers are more faithful to the trust i'm