The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-03-05
Letter from Augusta.
WALDO COUNTY MATTERS BEFORE THE LEGISLA-
TUKE. A LOOK IN THE COUNTY TREASURY THE

WALDO COUNTY MATTERS BEFORE TIE LEGIsLA
TuKE- LOOK IN THE COUNTY TREASURY. THE
RAILROAD BILL, ETC
To TIE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL. Our Waldo
delegation at Augusta asked to make the
county estimate $2l 900, although it was only $i4
800 heretofore, 1t occurred to that this seemed
htSn and we took it upon ourselves to look into
our county matters. We find the county's indebted
ness S954s IA, and the Statute fixes the extent
county can get into debt at $4,000. Knowing, by
comparison with other counties of equal poDua-
ton and W. ah that manage to keep on of debt on
the same amount raised by county, there must
be a screw loose somewhere, we voted unanimous
ly To make the estimate $4,000 and then to try and
find the leak.
For number of years it has cost the county of
Waldo from 800 to $l,000 for the services of a
County Treasurer; while by comparison this
amaunt, allowed by our county commissioners to
the Treasurer (who by law has the adjustment of
The amount to be pad him) seems very much too
high Counties Of about the size as Waldo
pay their Treasurer from 500 to $500. The county
of Franklin allow their Treasurer 800 Now. if
Waldo had not paid their Treasurer more than
frahklln, this amount saved in the past ten years
would have placed Waldo county in good circum-
stances with money in the treasury, and have OBJ
waited the Illuminating necessity of the present
board of commissioners coming to the Legislature
aud admitting they had hired all the money the law
allows county to hire and were still dead broke
and asking special legislation to allow them prvi
lege to make temporary loan OF $4,000 TO bridge
over with AS Waldo asked this unusual, and as
far as know, unprecedented legislation, the Wal
do delegation thought they would keep on III speci
alties and introduce AN order that the Waldo coun
ty county commissioners should not he allowed
10 pay their Treasurer sum exceeding $500
We think by SO doing have stopped quite il
leak and hope those having county mat
ters i'll charge will look after our interests and
cut down by good management this large debt
The Railroad fare and tariff question which has
been brought to the attention of the Legislature
this winter has been by agreement referred to the
next Legislature after a conference in Portland
at which | was an invited guest as one of the
advocates of the freight Tariff bill Railroads.
These Corporations claim that Legislation would
be detrimental to their interests as well as to the
publics good and asked tie privilege attempt to
please the patrons of their several lines during the
next two years without Legislation, which was
agreed to by those who had worked up the bill.
In regard to our County delegates, notwihstand-
ing both political parties was represented there has
been marked degree of unison, each member
showing by his vote wish to do the best thing for
the public good. 1t is now thought we can close
our deliberations at Augusta by March 7th which
will allow the "Chosen wisdom of the State" to re
turn to their various vacations of every day life,
having formed many pleasant and valuable ac-
quaintances while the more rural members have
learned many points in regard to the navigation of
the ship of State. l. G. LIBBY,