The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-07-24
Total d .bt Of county

ivafl III u SNFAaA' ----------"'--~ :
R,yc5fer-You say there have been no ma
terisI changes made in she fiaaaria! cond--
ton of the county since the above
statement was prepared
ClerE-Some of the items have been sight
ly reduced. and others, on acaouat of court
fees, and such mst,eTs, have been increased
in about the same proportion. so that tie
debt, taken altogether, is substantially tie
same, except In 50 far as bonds have been
taken 10 Rui refunded in new bOTGs Of fifty
per cent.
Rep.rter.-That's just tEe roint the people
are interested in. They want 20 know what
progress is being made in refunding
the debt. aut / would he Obliged 10
you IL you would give me a statement OF
just what has been done in this direction.
Gle Ill will give you statement OF tie
bonds compromised up 10 this time taken
from the books, The following statement
Will show you just
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE;
Bon CONFRONT ed al 50 pr ct............ct 900 90
Judz rnents :. 6,tto -
Interest on same i,lS 81
Total amount ompromised-....Ss,9 i2 %
Reporter.-"Do,s that represent the total
this time: ."
Cerk-'Y =; that represents all that is SO
far definitely Disposed of, but there are on
hand In addition TO the above
s3O00IS JUDO MENTs
ready TO CON promise al fifty per cent, and
half the bonds are now ready TO be issued,
but the trouble Is the attorneys are not sat
isfed with the fees tie country is WILL; &
to pay, and that prev snts the matter from
being closed up"
Reporter What does the county have TO do
with attorney fees"
lat this point Mr.. Pickens chairman of the
Board of Commissioners, who had thus far
had but little To say, turned 10 the reporter
and remark ed with considerable iAterest:l
aft you could have a little of our experience.
on the Board, you would soon find that the
county had a great deal to do with At
torney fees. That's one of the worst features
ofthe whole matter, and gives US more trouble
than anything else"
Reporter. is the particular troubls In
the case just referred to By the Clerk, whe. e a
compromise OF 81, 900 is suspended because of
trouble IN regard to fees
Clairman.-Well, you see, the sum referred
W 10 thc ipilh Vi n anu dIs
ranging a compromise with the judgment
creditor Wa agreed to allow for reasonable
ices TO his attorney. Bat We find when we
come TO close up the matter that the attorney
is not willing to accept what we regard as a
reasonable fee, but insists upon having just
twice as much as We are willing to allow.
Reporter. much did You agree to al.
low?
lusr Lac Tor l,ae
contract, made with a former board, which
gives him five per cent. upon all the bonds
compro missed, and we propose to allow other
attorneys an equal amount
Reporter.-That would make ten per cent.
for attorney fees, besides extra allowances to
the county attorney and other extr ,ordinary
expenses attending the settlement.
Chairman -Yes;and We think that's enough
We can't see anything to be gained by the
county in compromising with her creditors at
50 cents, II We have TO pay out ali of the other
so cents TO lawyers.
Rep0tr. How much is dem ,nded in the
particular case to which you have REFEREED
the $4,000:
Chsunsdn Eighteen thousand Of this be-
longs TO one party, and while We were east in
the interests OF the county . short time ago,
we arranged with this party to compromise
his judgments, as have said above, at 80 |
cents, and pay his attorney q reasonable fee. |
He had already paid the attorney
two hundred dollars, and that, OF |
course, WAS 10 be included In the new bonds, |
ana then we offered to give the attorney four
b Indred collars more, but this he refuses to /
accept, and insists upon having . thousand /
dollars in addition 10 the two hundred al
ready paid, making q total charge OF tapeite
hundrtd d2tLrrs for compromising Q case In Il
wnlch We made ali the arrangements for
matter stands: the Judgment creditor Is per-
Iectly Wiling to accept our bonds in settle /
ment OF THIS Claim. at 30 cents on the dol ar,
but his attorney will not let MIN settle unless
services. And that's q fair sample Of our ex-
PerieDce with al! The attorneys. One of two Il
things Is certain: either the lawyers put q
great deal higher price on themselves than
they are worth, or else We greatly undervalue
Reporfer.-You don't differ materially from
the most Of your con ,tituents In that regard,
but II seems that you were disposed to deal /
very gene rously with the county attorney,
judging from the very liberal bill Of extras
preeented by him, short time since.
ChasrHidn.-There's n great mtsapprehen.
Sion In tie pubic mind In re ard TO that hill
OF extra. rte Boari didn't have anything
10 90 win IT. We directed Mr.. Taylor Ia 70
nectiou wit. bond matters because We be- /
lieved 1t to be necessary TO the Interests Of L
the county, but when his bill wns prescott ted
We regarded IL rs exorbitant We nee~l had
any idea OF allowing II. Any omcsr ofths
sent 6sil TO the Board, bot We are NOT ne
ep0n8h1e far 70 unba1s Ne ALLOW n In thte
60 a. = n.vs said. Ne mover bad any idsa a
E7srss-Tns people mink IL \ vuyk
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