The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1889-08-15
SAUK CENTRE HERALD.
THURSDAY, AuGusr Is, 1882.

year for county expenses. Stearns IuIl-
ty requires ST., 500 for the same purpos-
es.-Sauk Centre HeraId.
The above is simply gross and inten-
tional Misrepresentation. The vote for
congressman in Otter Tail county last
fall was GIGS. in Stearns county 6,O73,
showing difference i'll population OF
about 1000. According to the Fergus
Falls Journal OF iuly %, the expenses of
Otter Tail cOuncy last year were $50 900;
for Stearns county $43,0T3 This year
S,earnS county'S lewis slightly increased
by reason chiefly of absolutely necessary
improvements i'll the iaii by increased
court expenses, etc. The Herald also has
ciamp cOiIc because OF the county officials
fees and salaries, which are all nXed by
state laws; and because StearnS county.
one of the richest counties in the state, is
getting the finest roads in the land and n
"superabundancc of steel bridges" There
is no fault to be tOund with Sank Centre
for wanting to be the county seat of a
new county. but the HERALD should try
to be ut least fair and honest in it's state
mcnts.-.jOurnM Press.
If there is any virtue the IIERAL prides
itself Up III 1t is that it is fair and honest
/ its statements" and it has not depart
! from its acknowledged fairness and
honesty i'll it's illusions to Stearns county
expenditures, and its companions with
Otter Tail and other counties. The au-
thority upon which the statement was
made that Otter Tail )unty is more pop
ulOus is the only reliable exact intorma-
ton obtainable-the census of 1885, the
last ever made, which gives Otter Tail
81 500 and Stearns 2S,712. The gain in
population for the preceding five years
WAS: Otter Tail 1860 and Stearns
1000. 1t is therefore not only reason
able, but almost certain that Otter Tail
Is the more populOus. Any computation
from the vote cast Is mere assumption at
Dcst, where it is so close, for local influ-
cnccS and different conditions change the
relation of the vote to the census in a
very marked degree in different localities
SO far rs area is concerned Otter Tail is
vastly greater. Furthermore, over six
hundred more pcrs o IS pay personal tax
III Otter Tail than in Stearns, and the
person. assessment is greater, although
the total valuation of real estate and Ter
Sonal IS Il little larger in StearLs.
is true that the total expenditures
OF Otter Tail are larger than in Stearns
as shown by the official report OF the
state auditor for 1855, but the county
revenue expenditures are less. Otte. Tail
expended $4,000 for interest on it's in
debtedness and $1,000 for care of the
poor, which entered into this total,
whereas Stcarns has no debt, and each
township takes care of its own poor, so
not 4 dollar was charged to either of
these two accounts which swell Otter
Tail expenses from 100000 to 100000.
SO it will be seen that the HERALD is full
~ Subssantiatcd by the Official figures
and the Journal Press knows it. Again
Otlcr Tail county is forging its expenses
down, whereas Stelrns is forging up.
Two years ago the levy for revenue in
this county was So, HOO-iast year it
WAS so, 900 and this year it is $3.50
In increase of ortv-fye per cent in Two
Years.
These are figures which the Journal
Press can not contradict nor explain
;Iway-.hey arc taken from official sourc
cS, and are presented without any effort
At miscoustr"ction OF unfair lnanipula-
lien. They are simply startling truths
reduced to cold statistics which every
taxpayer should ponder we'll
Tie 'cranp collie" OF the HERALD is |
not because OF 'county officials fees and
salaries which are liked by state laws"
but because i'll every department OF the
county government the money of the peo-
pie is being lavishly squandered The
county officials arc not to blame fot tax
ing all the law allows them, but it is high
time Il nlove economical policy be ,dopt-
cd. Everything the tax payer handles
cit!icr as receiver or disburser, is lower
and constantly decreasing, excepting on
~ his taxes.
The HERALDhls taken the position that
It costs proportionatcly more to ope-
rate one large county than it does two
smaller oiIes, even aside from the person
ii expenses Of litigation which are cnor-
nously greater in large county by reas-
on of mileage, and the auditors report
tbove referred to is abundant proof OF
he correctness OF that position.
1t costs twice as much to run" Slc1r
IS II does Rice county, whereas their val
lation varies 4 mere triAe. and in 1885
he population OF Stearns was less than &
1000 greater. Tie per capita tax in '
'tearns county Tor county revenue as as
by applying the census figures a
f 1885 to the levy of 1883 is $3.50, r
While i'll Rice it is only eighty cents. \
leanDi1nc Stearns county has doubtless s.
lcreascd i'll population faster than Rice, i
ut not to any such extent as to even
pproxi.Iate an equalization in taxes
Does the Journal Press still insist that !
le HERALD is not fair and honest in it's d
atements? ii is referred to the state 81
lditor's latest published report and the III
hcial census OF Minnesota. III
~e AN
y law was pushed through the 1egisla- +;
re last winter authorizing the county
of Stear1.s county to issus