Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-02-01
THE COUNTY AFFAIRS.
Ex.C,MMIssIoNER MONTGOMERY

Ex-CuMMlssIONER MONTGOMERY
Presents Some Important Considerations fer
Taxpayers.
EDITORS INTELLIGESCER: In recent is
sue of the INTELLIGENCER an editorial ar
ticle begins by saying that the last board of
commissioners was unpopular as whole.
It is evident from what follows that you
mean to say they were unpopular because
they paid bills that we're unjust and ought
pot to have been paid. Allow me here to
add that for thus squandering the peoples
money they richly deserve the popular in
dignation of the taxpayers.
But why associate me with this nefari-
GUS business? had no hand nor part in Its
consummation. True, you implicitly ex-
capt me from participation in the payment
o. the last batch of bills that we're clan
destinely paid, after the Office had been
finally closed for the term, by mentioning
the names OF Coble and Bushong in con.
nection with that transaction, but you
leave it to be inferred that co-operated
with them in the payment Of the null
titude of other iniquitous bills that
were paid during our term of office.
lam aware that acquired a good deal
of unpopularity when commissioner, but
have the consolation of knowing that i'll
Cured it by my persistent opposition to
the payment Of all cxtravagant and unjust
bills. Now have no objections to your
parading my unpopularity in your columns,
but in justice to me you ought to have told
whence it cmanated. think it was CON-
fined to the comparatively few of our peo-
pie of the cormorant species and their sat
elites, who had taken oifense at my visilant
efforts in warding OF their foul attacks OIL
the public treasury. You know this to be
the fact about as well as do, and there
fore you ought to have qualified your dec
laratiOn by saying that Coble and Bush.
ong were unpopular because they paid
bills that were unj Just and ought not to
have been paid, and Montgomery was I'M
popular because lie opposed the payment
of all such bills
think you make Il mistake i'll dcnOmi-
mating the s., 150a 1" floating debt 1t
is a part of the bonded county debt. The
persons 10 whom it is due hold the county
bonds for it, and some of them are not due
for Il number Of years yet, and some of
them aic overdue. Those we would have
paid at maturity, but the parties wanted
to keep them, and besides we considered;
that if our successors made levy OF
twenty five cents Oh the hundred dollar
of valuation, the county would be in 4
better shape in Tic future to pay them
out of the surplus that would accrue, as
there is hO part OF the other bonds duo
until April 1884 to absorb it.
Twas ast0nshed to see the following
statement taken froEi the Nem Era
Through bad management 4 large float.
ing ,!cbt has been incurred, and the result
is that additional taxation must be laid t,
meet il, and the commissioners have jus,
fixed the rate for tho present year and
have increased it from twenty-five cents t.
thirty cents on every hundred dollars o!
valuatiul,." Or, in plain English. they
propose to increase the tax fur this year il:
tho eishhorhood Of forty five Thousand
dollars to pay this alleged floating debt
So fh! as j know there was no unpaid
debts except the bonded debt at the cx
piration Of oar term and ! have reason
tOpresume that there was none from tho
fact that persons having claims against
the county always were prompt liz rre
sentins them, and all that were presented
were paid. Therefore, feel satt
in saying that less than thou
sand dollars would pay all the
floating debt the county owes. But
if the commissioners propose to forct
the payment of what is due Of the above
mentioned s., $50 Of bonds, it will hav,
the same effect on the finances as tho pay.
ing of like amount of floating debt. but
surely it would bc bad financial policy t:
assess forty five thousand dollars of adGi
tional tax to pay 81, $50. It may be sat
that tic balance can be applied to the
payment OF tie other bonds, but they
must bear i'll mind that there is no part
of the other bonds due for over two
years yet and it woult; he still
worse tinancieriDg to take money out OF
the taxpayers pockets nov to pay deb
that will not be due for over two year:
hence. Three years experience In the com
missiOncrs Office convinces me that levy
of twenty five cents On the hundred dollar.
valuation is amply sufficient to meet al
the current expenses of the county, includ
ing ordinary improvements and repairs
and leave a very considerable balance cacl
year to pay the funded debt with. BY TIN
practice of that rigid economy that it il
the duty Of all public officers to eli
force, 1 feel safe in saying tina
the entire county debt could b.
paid in less then ten years without in
creasing the rate of taxation one cent. l
our county business was managed will
the same economy that all frugal mel
manage their private business, $4,000
= year would be sufficient to pay all tht
necessary expenses of the county, insteat
of $500, 600 as is contemplated by a levy
Of thirty cents on the hundred dollars val
uation. Aud there is no conceivabl,
reason why it should no: be thus man
aged. The county pays cash for all labor
and material furnished it, and therefore
ought to get it at the lowest market price
instead O{ aS is tnn often thc oaSo navir,