The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-10-30

ovlr sixtyr cents Oh tie dollar, at the
very Lest.
IL csla easily lie seen in what
deplUrsLle condition the county stood
iili,aucisllly. With county warrants
worth only sixty cents on the dollar
and with no prospect of their being
paid for at least ten years il the whole
amount OF the outstanding warrants
(which now appears from the experts
report amount 70 S2s 5s7.4s) had to be
paid before the warrants issued this
year could lie either paid or received
for taxes. everything that the county
purchased. such as coal, books, sta
tiOneTy, poor supplies, ETC., could only
be bought at a price 10 per cent above
cash prices, and every juror and every
other person who rendered any service
fOr the county, instead Of receiving
tiie fees provided by law would only
get go per cent Of the amount he WIS
entitled to. This was the appalling
condition with which we were suddenly
confronted, and the difficult problem
of eXtrisating the county from its
unfortunate pFedicament was pre-
scented 10 us for solution. We spent
some time in the examination of the
statutes and decisions Of courts bearing
Oh the question, and finally arrived at
a solution of the difficulty, which, if
adopted and follow ed by the county
treasurer placed the county on "a cash
basis and effected saving TO the
county Of thousands of dollars within
a few years.
We ascertaIned that an amount
/ exceeding 81 600 of the outstanding
warrants had been issued by the cOun-
/ ty commissioners in payment OF work
done OH the court house aud grounds
/ in excess IF the bonds voted for that
purpose, and without any levy made
for the purpose, and without vote of
the people authorizing the iucurring OF
the indebtedness and were, therefore,
void, AMI that a large portion of the
remainder were probably void because
issued in excess Of the tax levy in
violation Of law.
An examination OF the statutes and
the decisions OF the supreme count of
this state also convinced us that il
Was never contemplated by the legis-
lature that there should be at any
time warrants outstanding and unPaiC
after the period for the payment o.
taxes for the Yeur in which the WAR
rants had been issued had expired
, The law requires the commissioner
& on the first Monday OF August, il
each year, to estimate and determine
the amount of money necessary to b.
l raised for county purposes and to max
? levy sufficient to raise the amour
, required, but provides that the lev
! for the current expenses OF any ON
year shall not exceed ten mills on Tia
: dollar OF taxable property.
The county commissioners are ais
I expressly prohibited rromissuing couu
S ty warrants in any one year to
} greater amount than the amount G
S the county tax levied in the same yea
l. to defray county charges aud expense
= less 20 per cent. The 20. per cen
/ being required to make up for deliJ
I queut taxes.
/ If these provisions of the law Aa
]
I would not now be dollar Of unpai
[ county warrants. for in the year 1888
y before the court house bonds wei
voted, the county was on cash basi
IA and the commissioners had no aUthO
] ity to issue warrant in ANY year
= excess of the amount of money raise
q il that year to pay it. Upon a col
] -.
. to the conclusion that the taxes raise
> each year by the levy made by I'll
commissioners to pay the count
il charges and expenses of that year, col
= stitute a special fund out of which ii
u county expenses Of that year should
q paid, no matter how many thOusan
L dollars Of warrants that had bee
$ illegally issued in former years migi
Il be outstanding, and that is the advi'
d We gave Mr.. Ysatman, and we gay
d no other different advice-either
II him OF any other person
The salaries OF county officers ~
II part OF the current expenses of sac
"a year, just the same as fees OF juror
8 coal bills, and all other bills agitini
s the county fOr current charges Of Il
\ year are. Warrants issued to pay q
.e the aforementioned bills against Il
"a county, stand upon the same tooth
r and should be paid by the osUn
- treasurer out OF the fund raised by Il
Il taxes for the year in which they we
r issued, according TO the order in viii
+ they were issued, and if tie treasur
r. has not done 50, he has not follow
a the advice given him by the cOun
A. attorney.
,e We are informed, however, by hi
"a that he has followed our advice sin
AS it was given him, ana that hs is NJ
as and has been ever since receiving wa
"a rants issued this year in payment
~ taxes. a large part Of the tax
he levied This year viii be paid on
ut before December goth, and at I'll