The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-07-11
County Expenses.

The following remarks, from late report
of the proceedings ofthe Board of Supervisors
1--WE call them County Commissioners, } of Lee
county, Iowa, as published in the Fort Madi-
son Democrat, will apply quite as well to our
section ofthe country as to that for which they
were more particularly intended:
The Board of Supervisors feel called upon
to invite attention to certain items of expense,
that the same may be considered by tax pay
ers, to the end that remedy may be found.
Ordinarily people look at the aggregate ex-
penditures of the county and assume that it is
entirely too much, and eensure the Board for
the result That our expenditures are far in
excess of what they should be no one knows
better or feels it more sensibly that the Super
yisors.
And our object is now to refer to some OF
the causes that so largely swell the expenses,
and thereby show that the remedy is not with
the Board but with the tax payers and the leg
islature. In all matters in which discretion
airy power is vested in the Board no one has
or can complain of high allowances durin 9
the present year. And in those cases in which
expenditures appear to be exorbitant, and are
really so in fact, yet it is the fault of the law
or some other tribunal, or both, and one over
which this Board has no control or power to
interfere, and our only duty is to allow bills
which we know ought not to have been Sc
much, yet we are powerless to remedy the
evil AS for example, q colored person, by
| the name of Jackson, was arrested, and had d
preliminary examination on charge of fel
ony. He was bound over and lay in Jail at the
| expense of the county, and at the May tern
| of the district court, was indicted for the of
| fence charged, and large number of witnesses
were kept in attendance about eight days, anC
| finally when tried was found guilty of only O
misdemeanor, and sent back to Jail thirty
days The witness fees in this case amounted
| to $241. 90 and the entire expenses cost tho
county S430.35.
| This is only an example, and it is almost I;
daily occurrence that offenders, or supposed
criminals, are arrested, have preliminary ex
aminations which are again inquired into by
grand iuries and the district court, and in many
cases discharged entirely on final trial, or fount
guilty of some petty misdemeanor that coul(
and should have heen tried srmmarily before
a justice of the peace, and the county saved
| from large bills of expense. In this class o
cases and in Il large number of other matters
in which the law imposes duty and fixes tn,
compensation of witnesses and officers every
| one after moments reflection must know anC
admit, that the Board OfSuperyisors have M
power to curtail such expenses, as they are
| fixed by statute and the Board cannot chang,
the law
That radical change is needed in this di
rection is evident, and in our opinion very
large diminution in county expenditures car
he realized by proper legislation, and at thu
same time the punishment ofcrime made NOR,
certain and the law more cheaply administer
ed.
We trust the taxpayers will give this sub
ject their careful and serious consideration t.
the end that reformation may be had in thu
system itself The remedy must be found il
proper legislation, and tax payers are not wis'
unless they demand it.