The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-10-11

BOROUGH AND TOWNSHIP ACCOUNTS
That the publication in the newspapers each
year of the financial condition of the several
5oroughs and townships in this and other
counties of the commonwealth is required
by law, aud that simple statements printed
and posted up will not suffice, may be learn
ed from the following which we find in the
Altoona Tribune of recent date
good deal has been written and printed 10
regard to the publication of the accounts of
borouehs and townships, The law plainly re-
quires, according TO one of our exchanges which
has given the Subject considerable invcstiga-
tion, the auditors of the several boroughs and
townships TO publish statement of their ac.
counts respectively at the close of each fiscal
year. which previous to 1876 was in June. We
so stated in ptev!ous years, but there were per-
sons, and lawyers, too, who had not given the
the law did not require any publication other
than written statement posted up in the bor-
Ough or township. A case was tried in North
cumberland county. involving a neglect OF aud
itOrs to publish in the papers, and after thor
the auditors and fined them $20 each. In Al
legheny county a like case was tried and with
publication in the papers was necessary. The
reason why people thought a publication by
written or printed statement put up in the Dor
ough or township was sufficient compliance
with the law was because the act OF 1874 so sta
ted, but the provisO to the act says as follows !:
Nothing in this act shall be construed to In
terfere with the present law, which requires
annual statements of the receipts and expendi-
lures OF the borough councils, road commits,
sioners, supervisors. overseers or the poor ana
ScnOOi directors TO be ADVERTISED IN the weekly
papers of the county.
From this 1t is clear that the written or print
ed statement to be put up in the borough or
township is publication in addition TO the
publication in the newspapers, for were IL not
SO the act itself would be practically of no ef-
feet. Several laws have been passed upoC this
subject since 1874, and the whole of them sum
thus:
First. The auditors are required in each bor-
Ough and township to settle the accOu nts there
OF. and publish the same not ONLY yin newspapers,
but also by written printed statements put
up in the most public places in the boroughs
aud townships Hs soon after the close OF the rs
cal year, which is on the first Monday in April
as possible.
Second. IL the borough township Is In
debt, has funded or floating debt, Ii must be
included in the statement, together with the
valuation of property, etc, and published in I
least two newspapers. and embraced in the
written or printed statement also
1t is necessary that the auditors of the re-
spective boroughs and townships should go to
work at once and settle the accounts as they
are in duty bound to do, AMI have them pub
liShed the law directs. When the borough or
township has no Indebtedness. neglect to pub
lish incurs fine of twenty dollars; but if the
borough or township is in dent the neglect in
ours a fine of one thousand dollars. We would
advise those who read this article TO cut it out
and preserve it, so that il may be had for refer
ence.