Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-11-19
COMMISSIONER PERgIGo CRIT
HIsED

CIsED
The recent statement Of the proceed
/ inas of the County Commissioners
1 shows 3 large expenditure of public
money which must necessarily follow
/ the DEVELOPMENT and improvement OF
q nev and growing county like ours.
| The public has substantial reasons for
| believing that these expenditures are
I often very iniadicIossly made; lacking
| that business scrutiay. that careful at
tentiou. TO the results Of these OUTLAWS
/ OF public MONEYS, that should belong 10
| public servants on whom, more largely
than sny othsr, depend the steady
growth and improvement OF oGr cesDty.
Men identified gish the present and ia
ture welfare of the county do not object
80 much 10 the amosnt of taxes levIsd
as to the loose and neglected. manner
of applying them and tee lick of per
mapency 20 Re seen in a great del o.
the public work The duues Of Com
mls-ioasrs are more numerous spd en-
brace a wider field than any Other Of ur
local public officers. consequently their
action 10 of more direct importance ia
the people. They NAV say the public
Is unerateful, which may be true. II he
lacks the native capacity or does Dot
possess the saoscity which fits maa
for such trust then the faux Is with
the pQolic, which should learn some
thing from the lesson, bus If be vi.fuily
neglect those duties entrusted TO him,
or If be permit public funds TO be mis-
applied or used for indirect personal or
political benefits, then an indignant con-
stltuency cannot too soon pronounce its
condemnation upoc him as "a enemy
of bis own commonwealth.
IL is an accepted theory that the gee
graphical location of each Com mis-
sioner determines that section of our
county which he shall represent IN an
1norganiZed capacity; such being true,
then W. w. Pergigo represents our part
of the county. The question arising
sere il whether any puolic servant en-
trssted with the affairs of the people
and the handling and disbursinR of
large sums OF money, can with censis-
tency adopt more extrayagant and
slovenly method of doing business for
the public than q reasonably fair bust
ness man would follow in doing bust
ness for himself | de not think there
is citizen in King county who needs
any assistance in the solution of this
problem. Early last spring Mr.. Perriso
came to our neighborhCod, and upon
representation of certain citizens that
q bridge should be built across branch
of the SnoQQslmie river near the Hop
Ranch" Mr.. Perrigo told those parties
to 90 ahead and build the bridge and
bring in the bill. Now, whether the
bridge is good or bad. or whether it
cost more or less than it should. shall
not attempt here to say, as the public Is
somewhat Uncertain Just what the work
did cost. | believe he paid the bill, and
never went to see whether the work WIS
we'll done or not; We will give him the
benefit of the doubt and suppose it was.
Ii is a mere accident that 1t was done
as well as il would have been had he
been there to see that the public was net
imposed upon. A man would have to
have confidence in others in a degree
supreme before he would entrust them
with two or three hundred dollars worth
OF work for which he expected to pay
out OF his own pocket, without seeing
it or knowing how much it actually cost.
Last March certain citizens of this
vicinity represented to him that an ex-
tension of the work, on what is known
as Canon Hill between Squak and Falls
City, was necessary. The amount and
character of thework was specified to him
by the citizens, than whom none others
knew better what was actually necessary
TO make it psssable thorouGhfare.
Later on he came into the vicinity, and
without consulting as to what the work
could be done for, gave the work to a
man at the price put upon it according
to the letter of the specifications. The
work was done scarcely in any sense as
required. In fact Just such class of
work as We may expect 50 long SIS
County Commissioners pay 50 little at
tention to their business as they do l.,
myself, daring the recent session. called
his attention to tue fast that the work
Was badly done. and that the bill should
lot BE- allowed in full. and other citi-
Gems intimate with the facts. made the
same protestations. He admitted that
Re had never seen the work, aud yet the
bill was passed upon, allowed, aud |
suppose paid. Woald any man, with
average intellig do business in such
manner for himself? | stall let the
gentleman answer for himself.
Such proc sediH4s lead Us to think that
there Ia lack IF the business tact and
| capacity which belongs to the average
| citizen.
1 nave mSutlOut lUstdDScs Only ludt
have come under my own observation.
| IL the cour q If the other members Of
the Board has been So loose aud an
businessliks as Mr.. Perrigo's. 1t is IN
| fortunate. Indeed, | am inclined to
think it has not, although the p1blis is
generally vsrs indul-eut with her ser
wants One thing is certain. that SO
long as 80 little vigilance is exercised
/ by Couhty Commissioners in the sPpli-
eaten of public funds, we will Ssve bad
roads. poor bridges, and other essen
tials left undone. A. l. RUTHERFORD.
Falls CRY. W. T., Nov. IL, 1885.