The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1883-12-25
SOME PERTINENT REMARKS.
A Timely and Interesting Letter From
Ex.COunty Commissioner
Anceney.

Competition has gOOd result In all
things. The CHRONICLE, by taking the
lead toward representing to the people
the irregularity of our administration has
bravely drawn the Courier from its habit
| ual silence: which finally comes out in
its number of December 9th, with very
plain and sensible article in which it
says that of the charges made against the
Assessor, the County Commissioners
should assume share. Although we do
not propose to lay the blame on any par
| ticular one; some are more to blame than
others.
The new board was not altogether new.
Some had the benefit Of experience under
a greater combination of struggles over
county matters than now exists. As this
is our matter, at least those Of lis who
paid taxes this year, we have right to
/ educate ourselves as to where our money
goes We depend upon our newspapers
to give us once and while, instead of a
novel. Matters of public interest, such.
as the standing condition Of our finances
a little dose Of moderate preventive in
due time is worth more than a supertiu-
| GUS dose of abusive medicine. when it is
too late.
| Some information through the columns
ofour papers, as to the most approved
mode of assessing might have proved Of
certain help to the inexperienced asses
sor and would likely have avoided some
grotesque mistakes, had the trouble been
taken to look over the county books. the
! reporter could have ascertained, and it
! would not have been out of place to let
| the taxpayers know that the old board
had made a contract. with a doctor to
take care of the county sick for $500 for
one year, the said contract remaining
subject to the revision of the new board,
who revoked the same and give another
doctor ST 800 for the same services, while
other justifable claims were revoked,
without consideration. Unbalanced JUS
! tice always proves detrimental to the
public interest and needs checking in
due time.
1t is true, that any one serving the pub
| lie is very much subject to criticism and
the position of County Commissioner is a
thankless one-assllming a great respons-
ibility for small pay, while some of the
officers draw very remunerative salary
by system OF fees.
| The County Commissioners who have
to watch over the administration Of other
officers of the county have to work for a
trif1ing fixed salary, though this is not
our fault, if our legislators, deem it JUS
tice to give their assent to a liberal COM
pensation to some of the officers while a
miser's principle of economy is devoted
to those assuming the greater RESPONSE
bility. We may stand the consequences,
but are not to be blamed.
1t should be understood before hand
that any one accepting the position to
handle our finances should devote the
same care to the county's interest, as to
their own business.
The CHRONICLE says: "Had the assess
ment been properly made, a twelye-mill
tax would have brought more revenue,
than did the seventeen mills Of this
year.
We believe this correct. Raising the
lew from fourteen mills to seven
teen mills was the mistake, and without
doubt from that results our poor assess
ment return, The irregularity of valua-
ton of property may have been due to
the assessors lack of intelligence. But
as the Couriey. says: "Why is it that the
County Fathers have accepted tn return ,
It goes to show that they must have ac-
cepted the returns without lookingat the
county books and have tried to ignore all
past proceedings.
| If my memory serves me right the
question Of tax levy was entertained
even debated before the retirement ofthe
old board. Taking into consideration the
favorable condition of our county tinan
cially; all acquisitions and contracted OBJ
legations paid up; no warrants registered
and sufficient money in every fund t.
fairly meet all future obligations, thu
suggestion of lowering the tax to twelve
mills was favorably looked upon, bu
raising them was never thought of. Con
slider our astonishment when the repor
was confirmed that our taxes were raiset
to seventeen mills.
Some of lis with advice took the liber
ty to interview the County Conmis
isoners, whom we thought most author
lied, intimating that Especial meeting b.
held to modify the levy, giving for rea
son that raising the tax without necesslt.
would be provication to the faithful
tax payers of Gallatin county and be o
evil consequence generally. Our denarch
towards the County Commissioner prov
ed fruitless. Awaiting the result W
realized that many of the actual ia:
PAYERS have been assessed too high
while in all probability a great deal
the county property escaped taxation
entirely, as the returns are much unde
oHr expectations, making our county Al
object of comment by neighboring paper
such as the Herald in saying, that il
Gallatin county there is a general CON
| plant that not more than one-half a
| assessment has been made.
Why our County Fathers nave raise
our taxes is the part Of the enigma, "
have not yet solved. They perhaps Ell
tertained an idea of having lots of none
to handle and prematurely the redeml
: ton of our bonds. Which We rather ez
pected as our newspapers have made n
4 mention of county acquisitions this yea
l however it strikes those who are payin
taxes this year rather heavy blow, e,
? hausting the funds Of our banks which
e precious to many industries especial
when money is scarce and we have
pay from fifteen to eighteen per cent.
i. redeem bonds, bearing only eight pc
cent, when such bonds do not demand
f be redeemed it is rather poor polio
. According to our papers our county
: comparatively not in debt, having a