The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-10-31
OFFICIAL ADVERTISING.
correct Figure. from the Records.
Average Cost tn the Treasury. sass per
Year.


Average Yearly Cost to Each Tax Payer
Ten Cents.
We could understand how a good T.
nancier could save S2ss out of $1,000,
but we can not understand how $1,000
per year can be saved out of $28S.
When the customary and chronic howl
set up yearly in every couRty-was
raised this campaign about the cost of
official advertising, we remarked that be-
fore election we would give the correct
figures of this item of the county expens
es. Hence we went last week TO the
county clerks Office and asked him 20
look over the bills for 1879, 1873 and
1877, and give us the amount each year
which the county advertising done by
THE NEWS had cost the county treasury.
The figures are as follows:
1877. .$20l 80
1873 80. .-.......-- Northumberland. go 50
1873 ..--------..- .----------.. --------- SoS-IS
For three years ...... 1851 IS
Average per year $2ST Is
The number of tax payers is not known,
but the county treasurer issued 5,135
tax receipts this year. Estimating the
tax payers, resident and foreign, at about
1900, the expense of official advertising
is about ten cents per year to each tax
payer, or about the cost of one cigar
They are not grooming at all under this
burden, so far as we know, for all the
howl raised each successive campaign
by some paper that does not happen tc
represent the majority of the voters.
The above estimate includes all the
items which are in fair and proper
sense an expense to the county treas
ury, and to the tax payers. They do not
of course, include delinquent tax lists
final notices, ETC., the expense of which
is assessed against each piece of land Oh
lot advertised, and is refunded to the
treasury by the individuals concerned
on the ground that they, and not the
treasury, ought to pay for such advertis
ing. To call that kind of advertising al
expense to the treasury is simply al
absurdity, and in contradiction to thu
law and the facts.
We will add that the above figures ar,
not only correct, but that they show {
very moderate advertising expense
The bulk of the expense, especially thi!
and last year, came from the numerou!
petitions for new roads, which the resi-
dents of the county seem to think neces
sary.
The records will prove, also, that no
a line ofoflicial advertising has been done
not required by law, and not cent pai(
over legal rates. And our files will show
that we have done large amount of of
fetal advertising without any pay, il
any case where it appeared as if the in
formation would be valuable to the tax
payer and there was no law directly re
quirlng it to be done.
We invite the fullest investigation o.
this matter, and our columns are open t.
any proof anybody can furnish that We
have been paid for any official advertis
ing at more than the rates prescribed by
the laws which required the said avertis
ing to be done in Il paper of general cir
culatlon in the county. We claim fail
and legal pay from the county as well a.
from the state or from the city or from
individuals, and the county records or
this matter are open to the inspection o.
every tax payer. S. n. Wood, G. V. Esk
ridge, or any of their tools, who charge:
THE NEWS or its proprietors with hav
ing, at any time, asked for, taken, or il
any way knowingly received single
cent from the county treasury more than
we were honestly and legally entitled t.
receive, is malicious liar, a cowardly
slanderer. and brazen-faced whelp.