Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-01-23

BOZEMAN, MONTANA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1879

statement. showing the amount received
into the Treasury during the preceding
year. and from what source: and the
amoant paid ont dtning the same period.
and for whit purpose paid ont; the amount
Of county warrants iss"ed. to whom and
on what account. The statement should
exhibit in d~tail the transactions of the
Board OF County Commissioners. and
should he signed by the Board and the
Treasurer of the county anil he fled IN the
{ flee of the Cleri. of the District Court of
day Of March annually. and the coir:
shon'd bc required al its next term to ap-
point some competent person to examine
said statement and report at it. next term
whether the statement is in al respects
correct and In accordance With law and
what items. if any. are Illegal. exorbitant
or unreasonable in amount and the per-
son SO appointed should have authority to
examine the books. papers. vouchers ana
accounts OF the TrafsuIer's Office. and the
commissioners to swear and eKaEline
witnesses Inder oath. and to rxa" inc into
and report upon all matters contained in
the settlement exhibit Of the County Com
lnisSioner- and Treasurer. In Gaze the ex-
liht oi settlement show. any violation OF
law By any county officer. Tie court should
be required TO Order the District Attorney
10 prosecute such officer according to law.
4 supervisory authority Of this character
will. | think. insure more vigilance and
care on the part Of county officers in the
discharge of their Official duties.
The reduction Of fees and salaries Of dis
..i.t and county officers should ree~ We
you. early attention. More of the people $
money has been sqnndcred in exoriitant
fees Of county offirei's than would cancel
the present indebtedness Of every county
1t is unreasonable to assert that it is npcs-
sary to continue the present scale nf fees
in order 10 secure competent offers. The
compensation OF the meinbrs of the Legs
lative Assembly is now bat One-tOurth
what il WAS seven yrars ago. and who viii
equal, or the superior. of its predecessors.
1he act OF the last session. consolidating
offices in the snail counties. should lave
been general. including in its provisions all
the counties .lnl all OF the fees heretofore al
lowed reduced At least fifty per cent Deer
Lodge County pail three thousand two
Onll"ti tlolllrs in cut'rpnfy-not in i!epre-
riltcl w,!rlants-!or assessing that county
in 1S..,;: and Lewis an.l Clarke County paid
two thousand si@iit hundred and ninety
tiye dollars and sayen5y-tiyc cents to har
Assessor the sumo year. It c'nnot be claim
Ell Thar the duties req Tired of these officers
occupied more than five moaths out of The
twelve. of their time and yet they each re-
cciVe more compensation than the JUL res
or any other officer of the United States
serving in ''iontana. do not conplain
of the salaries paid by the general Govern
ncnt but il is but justice to the tax-,il,!en
people OF the Territory to complain that
county officers receive cxorbitant eomDen-
sutton. The allowance of fifty cents per
nile for the transportation ofcOnvictS fron
the place Of conviction to the penitentiary
is excessive. and should be reduced at lelst
one bali; and the amount paid Sieritfs per
diem for board OF person coafined IN i;lils
is largely in excess Of charges for board at
first class boarding houses. The amount
paid BIZ counties in the States for such
board is fifty cents per day: and the com
nensation paid tie United States for keep
ing ouir Territorial cOnvicts is but one dol
lar per day. and yetthe counties Of Montana
are required to pay trsm one and one-halt
TO two and one-halt dollars per day.
The fees of the Clerks of the District and
Probate Courts. and in fact OF every coun-
ty officer are excessively high and should
be eit,s.ei. High tees have caused and
will con'inae the present heavy burden OF
taxation that is weighing down our people
par,lyzing their energies. and checking the
growth OF i'lc Vital business interests of the
Territory. The Iaw-nakin" power OF tic
Territory is responsible for the indebted
ness that now rests so heavily upon the
people. Ii will require bat little reflection
to convince any enc that had the LeyiSla-
t,rc of 1871 re,.uced fees and salaries and
inlug,irate1 such reforms as were Necessary
and apparen. the Territory and the several
counties would not to-day require levy of
from two to three. per cent upOn the prop
er,y of the people to pay interest on the
debt that 4 want OF proper and necessary
legislation has created.
The bonded Indebtedness of the Territo-
ry bears interest AT the rate OF ten per cent.
per annum. payable semi-annually. The
amount has been reduced TO seventy-tour
thousand dollars (S7400A) lave secured
Il written proposition from n. S. Ves,eI
Esq. of Helena. to take the entire int,pbt-
edAeSs OF the Territory at six per cent free
from Territorial or county taxatian. or
eight ner cent. without exemption from
taxation. recommend that tie six per
cent. proposition be accepted. and that the
bonds become due and payable st the Op-
ton of the Territory after seven years
The present outstanding bonds are not tax
ed because they are not held in the Terrific
ry; therefore we will not gain anything by
making the new bonds taxable. II is very
gratifying to be able TO present so favorable
al exhibit of the credit and financial con-
lition of the Territory. when it will be re-
menberel that less than seven years ago
the Territory WAS paying fifteen per cent
per annn,n on her entire bonsed Indebted
ness. Territorial warrants sold at par on
the first day Of Nov'. ,ber last. for the first
tine in the history of the Territory. and |
on the first day of the present month they
sold at rs per cent. premium.
The taxes due the Territory. quarterly. /
from the several counties are not promptly |
paid by some of the County Treasnfers. /
Though the law provides that the money
s!iall be transmitted forthwith to the Ter
'i'orial Treasurer. A penalty should b.
provided for the neglect to transmit the
Money due tie Territory forthwith. after
ie Board of County Commissioners ascer-
aims the amount due. The de"Aliciion of
hese officers forces the concltlsn that the
money is retained for private poses.
while tine Territory is comp'' TO pay
interest ON its Indebtedness. -,ch the