The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1880-11-03

since we can, within our own knowledge,
count $500, 600 worth of sheep and cattle that
nave been driven into the country within the
past three months, our county revenue. at the
same rate OF taxation, next year will be
$4,000. Add to this the usual amount of
transfer from the 'poor fund.-" and our
county, by the first day of December. 1881.
will have Cancelled its entire debt. and have q
few thousands in the treasury for contin
gencies.
|
ShOdeau County Finances
To the River Press.
You stated last week that the present in
debtedness Of this county was $43, 1000. The
Record, in reply to that, asserts that you have
overestimated the debt by more than one-half,
and then says: To-day the Indebtedness is
$24, SOB IS, and before the next annual report
Of the commissioners the present Indebtedness
will be decreased by from So, 600 to SIC, 900,
leaving Choteaus debt somewhere between
SIS, 900 and $50,000." In a sneering manner
they advise you to consult the county records
and acquaint yourselves with existing facts,
which would impute that the RIVER Press
had, upon its advent to the people of this
| county, recklessly, and for some ulterior mo-
| tive, misstated the amount of the indebted
ness OF their county. Now, I propose to
show, in this article, good and sufficient data
for your statement, and to show further that
the editors of the Record have p4 owed them
selves IN county finances, as they have proved
themselves to be in respectable journalism,
an imposition. On the first day of March,
1879, the Indebtedness Of this county was
$8, 67778. This amount was increased in
eleven months SIS, 5,926.07, which made the
Indebtedness upon the thirty first day Of JAM
uarY, 1880, 1924, ,603. .85. From the seven
teenth day Of March, 1880, to the thirty-first
day Of January 1S80-say ten months-tbe
fees of officials alone amounted to $13, ,493 23,
which would be monthly average Of ST.
$40 So Now, [ have seen nothing that
would prove that the fees of officials for the
past nine months, from the first Of January
to the first day Of November, have been
more than they were for the time above men,
toned, nor do I think that they can be
much less; and, therefore, figure the fees at
that monthly average, which would make the
Indebtedness $36, 74773 For the eleven
months preceding March, 1880, the total ex-
penditure Of the county, as shown by the
records, amounted to $29, 432 or but from
this deduct the fees Of officials. in order
RI arriva Of ha nvnapcac r,pn,,or ~ tho oa,,r
ty, which we find to be $15, ,93S 70. It is
claimed, however, that these expenses, ow-
ing to the peculiar necessities that had arisen,
were much greater than the expenses proper
Of the county have been for the past nine
months. Admit this, and grant that they
were double, and then the Indebtedness would
be $43, 777.12. 70 this add the item of 81
900, warrants sold few weeks ago. as pub
lshed by the Rec0rd, and it is plain to be
seen that the present Indebtedness Of Cho-
teau county is $51, 777 12, or about eight
thousand dollars more than asserted Con-
ceding that [ may have placed the fees of
officials at an amount greater than they are,
reduce them $4,000, and it leaves the debt to-
day what you stated it to be, in round mum
bers, $43, ,0O0. 1t is claimed that before the
next annual statement of the commissioners
this amount will be decreased by from five
thousand to ten thousand dollars. Admit
that it will be reduced ten thousand dollars,
aye, more, cancel the expenses and official
fees from the first day Of this month until
the date OF next official statement of expend-
itures and Indebtedness, and, should my data
prove correct, the debt will then be 100000
more than the Record is pleased to admit
1t is true that there is possibility that
there may be slight variance between these
hgures and those of the county records If
there is, Il must be trihing amount, more or
less; but until there is published, under hand
and seal OF the proper officials, an official
Of the Indebtedness, shall main
tain with perfect confidence the correctness
of the same, If the Record had, instead OF
supercillionsly referring you to the county
records, itself compiled statement there
from, it might be inferred that their assertion
IT the amount of Indebtedness was at least
Intended to be truthful, although it were
false in fact. Very respectfully,
TAX PAYER.
Gus. Senieur and Ed Mclean can now ne
ermed sstenderfeet, = in the full Democratic
.cceptatlon Of the word
Don't forget that you can find Con5res
4