The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-03-01
PubIIshIna TownshIp Account. /.


settled, and when statements should be
published, I feel like asking why it Is
that. excepting very few cases, the inau-
cial statemefits of the several townships
and school districts in Forest Co., are
never allowed to appear in print in our
county papers? 1t may be given me in
answer that it costs good deal to publish
in the papers, and that hence it is to the
interest Of taxpayers to post up hand-bills
instead. Although have no certain in
formation on this point, / still doubt if
this be always the real reason, for ven
ture to think that very generally where
no publication is made in the papers no
hand-bills are put up either And again ,.
in the case Of officials who publish, mot
because they like to, but because they feel
they must,-is it reasonable to think they
will be likely to take on themselves un-
necessary work? Will they be likely to |
take it on themselves to write out ten or
more statements and travel over the town |
ship and put them up, when but one, and |
a postage stamp to carry it, is all that is !
required? (Uness, indeed they mean to |
pay themselves for this In such case
where will be the saving) And on the
other hand, if our officials really want the
taxpayers to see the statement surely
they will put it where we can best see it.
A hand-bill, put up to day, may be torn
down by some vandal or the elements to-
morrow The taxpayer may not have
time to leave his work and run over the
township seeking for hand-bills. Our
home paper can, and certainly will carry
the statement to the home of all who may
wish it.
think it clear then, that this is not the
real reason. There remain, then, but three
other reasons, either of which means a
dangerous state of affairs. The three rea-
Sons may be that our officials are either
incompetent, or careless, or crooked. As
to being incompetent to get up statement
in Coos shape, there are but few, if any,
who may not acquire ability enough for
their duties, if they only will; the trouble
| lies in the fact, that as human nature goes
| there is not enough of painstaking in
either the learning or the doing, A great
! deal depends on the clerks and secretaries
! of the several boards of road commission
ers and school directors. How many of
these take pains to learn and practice a
commendable system of bookkeeping. I
opine the township books generally are
apt to be inaccurate, by reason of the slip
shod way in which they are kept. Not
enough work-exact- done on
them Who that has ever had occasion to
take set of township books and trace
back the OF erations of PAST years, but that
has taken on himself plerplexing task !?
Yes, there is doubtless a great deal of
imperfect work done, but it is mostly the
work of careIesSness rather than of inabil-
ity. The most of us have more o; the ele-
ment of carelessness in our nature than is
good for us, but pecuniaIy self interests
spurs us on to take some care of the things
of our own. The township official does
not have this spur TO duty, and may, if he
follow his natural bent, take things easy,
the painstal1ing will bring him no gain,
his carelessness no loss. If our officials
are careless in the matter of publishing
the financial statements, what guarantee
have we that they are not careless in all
else? A lack of painstaking is certain to
result in loss and I can see that it is a
very easy matter for losses to occur, and
, even the officials themselves not know ii
1t must not be believed that our officials
are dishonest. 1, for one, don't believe it.
And yet, is it not clear that if the state
ments are not published as the law de-
mands there must certainly be something
wrong9 The law requiring publication is
a good one, and should be obeyed. The
taxpayer has a right to know whether tho
hard earned money he pays in taxes is ju'
diciously expended. He wants to fee
sure that it is not lost, strayed or stolen
] And beyond this, the law is founded on {
knowledge of human nature; it was
doubtless contemplated that the effect O.
its operation on the officials themselves
{ will be to secure from them better service
, hardly think, on the whole, that Ineet
apologize for this letter and yet / almos
feel like throwing it in the fire, because
. some may think it a spiteful fling at some
S body. 1t is nothing of the kind-truly.
Q am only agitating for reform, and canno
wrong any one. Agitation as to his duties
will only make the fitness OF the capable
u careful official more apparent; and if, oI
S the other hand, my bow drawn at a ven
e ture hits the mark, am doing good ser
p. vice.
A word as to the statement the form o
9 it is not important, the substance is every
G thing. A statement perfect as to form
IS but broad enough TO cover multitude o
a sins, will give us poor satisfaction.
would suggest that where satistactoril.
. full statement will take up too much
o space if set up in account book form, tha
o it be put in narrative form, one item fol
lowing another as in ordinary reading