The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-06-11
Financial Statement.

We lay before the readers OF The
NE"s, this morning, the annual exhibit
Of the receipts and expenditures OF Put
nam county for the year beginning Sep
tember ~, 1854. and ending October l,
1885. This statement is made by orde.
Of the board Of county commissioners.
The figures are those of the county
treasurer and auditor. II IL, in the
main, n clear and definite exhibit, and
fully as much in detail as such state
ments are usually made for publication.
This is, we believe, the first publication
ever made Of detailed statement OF tho
receipts and expenditures Of Putnam
county. Some effort has been made
hitherto /, secure an exhibit, but with.
out success. The grand jury at its last
session demanded that such a statement
should be made, and the board Of county
commissioners finally authorized it. The
law says they shall be made annually,
and We hope to be able hereafter to lay
tlese statement, before the readers Of
T.. NEWS regularly as they transpire.
A brief examination will show that a
large revenue is paid 10y Putnam county.
hut expended for rather unsubstantial.
though apparently necessary, things.
II costs good deal of money to admin.
ter the affairs of the county. For wha;
the people really get out Of ii, !, looks
like large expenditure. We should
think the pruning knife might be ap-
piled to advantage in many directions.
And these expenditures appear to be
growing. rather than diminishing. The
Office of the county sheriff is cXtraya.
gantly managed. Compared with his
immediate predecessor, many Of his
charges seem unreasonable. The jail
expenses under Thomas Shelley's admin.
istration, for the last five months IT his
tenure, were $685., whereas, under tina
Of the present incumbent, for the fix
months ending September 3. 1885, they
were 81 $50 30 This is an increase Of
80 per month in ailcypenditures alone.
The f,es also Of bis office have the same
upward tendency. hut not So marked in
their extravaganza. When we consider
that Sheriff Shcllcys administration was
not especially distinguished for It's econ.
omy, one may we'll manifest surprise at
the expenditures of Sheriff Xchnbar.
There ought To- he greater economy Ia
this branch Of our public service, and
the expenses in il materially curtailed.
The board Of county commissioners can
do nothing better than scfutinizc closely
in future all expenditures Of this depart.
ment.
A large portion Of the county revenue
is also absorbed in the other offices Of
the county, but not to the sane extent
consid, ing the service performed, as in
that Of the sheriff, yet they might. with
out detriment to TIE interests Of tue
country, he greatly reduced to the al.
vantage Of the tax -payers After a care
ful survey of the cxibit 1t is difficult to
find any substantial results for all our
large expenditures. We have been pay
ing out large sums Of money year aft"
year, but we have little. If anything, &c
show for it. Our court expenses are
necessary, but it woul,l seem that they
might b. reduced. The expenditures ol
our Justices cou,ts are out of all pro
portion to tie service performed. Th''
Wa utter in no sense Of personal com
plant 10 any one or all Of the present in
cumbents Of the county or minor officer
of the county. Commissions are paid or
every hand. Nothing escapes the scruti
ny Of those interested in fees and com
missions. The tax payers haze to pay
We apprehend, If We omit the sheriff
that none of our other county official
take more than the law Allows them
but they take good care to get all the,
are legally entitled to. The spirit o
economy, that should always character
ize every administration Of publi'
finance, and especially such as are a l
ministercd 10y democrats, seems to hav,
been lost sight Of, and every man o
them gone in for what he coul,
make.
But there is one thing we have got
and that is good credit. Putnam count,
Is out of debt and on cash basis. TIN
amount of scrips redeemed between Sept
30, 1884 and Oct. l, 1885, Is nearly 81,
800. Soon it will all disappear, never