The Mineral argus. [volume] (Maiden, Mont.) 1883-1886, 1885-01-22


take exceptions to the article in the
Husbandman Of Jan. Ist, which stated
that the poor fund was not being ap-
propriated as specified by law, or was
being robbed to help out some Other
fund that is made insufficient by too
small a tax levy, "while her poor live
in novels, in rags and in filth" The
Commissioners are out in a column
letter in the Helena Herald, turning
the editor down in very salty manner.
They attribute his assertions to igno-
rance Of law and facts. Below will be
found the meat Of their reply:
The poor fund, he says, sis raised by
per capita tax, and the poor man
working for days wages pays as much
as the bonanza farmer and the cattle
king" while every taxpayer Of aver
age intelligence knows that the poor
taA is levied as other taxes, and it shall
be no less than one mill nor more than
five mills Revised Statlitcs). The per
capita poor tax Of - is Especial" tax.
In Meagier county the tax levied i'm
1854 for the benefit Of the poor was two
mills and aggregated for the pas, quar-
ter the sum Of $6.4lO, while the special
poor tax for the same time aggregated
$l.slO.
Il shows that the cattle king paid two
mills Of his wealth in the poor fund,
while the poor man, who has nothing to
assess. pays nothing but his special
poor tax Of 81. SO much for the edit
or's lamcntablc ignorance.
He says further that from a 600 to
5000 is annually taken from the poor
fund of each county TO help out some
other fund that has run s'.ort. "ln
Mcaghcr county is this especially true"
II the aforesaid editor had been as
anxious to arrive ut the truth as he is
in manufacturing f;llseio0ds. he could
have posted himself by looking over
the Commissioners Journal ut the
Clerks office. lie would have learned
that during the last three years $1,000
wa, transferred from the poor fund To
another fund, while during the same
time 81 800 were transferred from, other
funds to tie poor fund, which, i,,s. aad
of being robbed, leaves the poor fund
during the aforesaid three years $500
the gamer. This transfer Of 1880 To
the poor fund was made necessary in
of our keeping the county
sick ut the hotel at White Sulpbur
Springs for about - year, during which
time every county patient kept ut said
hotel cost the county, on an average,
So per week. rs was demonstrated i'm
u report to the Grand Jury, made by
the County Clerk ut the Grand Jury's
request.
The transfer Of $1,000 from the poor
fund took place some time after the
had contracted with the
Sisters Of Charity ut Helena, for the
Keeping OF our county poor. when the
poor fund had recovered SO far that the
could think of partly
re-inhbursing the other fund from which
the poor fund was compelled to borrow
the year before, and in the face of these
facts, for all Of which we have docu-
evidence. this editor has the
riirontery tO declare that the poor fund
Is robbed to help out some other fund.
while our poor live in novels, i'm rags
and in filth.
Will the editor find us the county
poor or sick who ever applied to the |
for and who were not imme-
lately and properly cared for? Show
Is county patient or II poor person |
inder the care of the county in novels. |
~ rags and filth?
With little regard for veracity, he !
'ays, that the county has u contract |
It $500 per week. including medical |
md burial expenses, for keeping it's
'lck and poor, (which is another false |
iood, as the expenses for medical treat
nent are not included), but the living
s such that the poor are rs anxiOu, to
'scape from their keepers as convicts
rom u prison."
The latter assertion is an infamous
and base Islander on an
Institution which has done more good
u Montana during its twelve or more
ears OF existence than the Uranium Of
his editor Is capable of cOnceiving in
lifetime. We are willing 10 leave it
% Drs. steele, Cole and Brown. who
'avc been our attending county phv.i-
Ia"s to bear us ont in our assertions
s 10 the treatment that our county
'atlcnts received while under the care
4 the Sisters.
". do not deny that every county
'lould have "a poor fam and hospital.
ut ~ long II, such can only bc had by
ID npoNcrishng the taxpayers and sal
ling an intolcrablo debt ON the county.
- shall do the best we can until the
oi'nty has h~sc money enough in the
cor fund to make "a hid for the poor ,
'rni of the editor Of the Husba nd,nan.
/. lolniny the town of MLitc Snlnhnr