Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1891-04-19
4 ECONOMY.
The Bnas,ed Saving I'm County E1-
penditurcs Fully Ventilated.

frequently been made, and 50 far up
pears to have been accepted as true,
that its legislation will effect a mate
rial lessening OF the burdens % u
County Government. A careful read
ing Of the several enactmepts OF the
Legislature for the year 1891 will,
however, speedily dispel this Illusion.
notwithstanding the Elko County
Salary Act, about which so much has
been written and said, tho word OF
promise has beea broken, and what
ever good. il any, was accomplished
by the passage of that Ac: vas after
wards battered away; not IN any
roundabout manner, Is by the Rail
road and State Board OF Assessors
Acts, but directly through the new
Revenue law.
Under tho revenue act OF 1865 and
the various acts amendaiory OF aad
supplemental thereto, approximately
one-helf of the money annually ex-
pended on account of the Assessors,
Auditors and T~reasurer's salaries has
been drawn from the taxes levied for
State purposes. In this manner, on an
average, about $3.50 have each year
been contributed b! the State Tor the
purpose OF paying Its proportion of
the above named salaries and the ex-
pcnses attendant upon the assessment
ami collection OF taxes. The amount
thus contributed by the State for
the year 1880 was, emitting express
charges. just S,lGo.2i. This provision
OF the old law HIS been eliminated
from the new and hereafter all ex-
penses OF levying and collecting taxes
State as well as county-must be
paid out OF county funds alone. By
some means, probably similar TO the
legislation of Congress in 1873 b.
which silver was demouetizei, Section
81 OF the Ac; OF 1865 providing for
such payment by the State has been
completely dropped from the Revised
Revenue Act and hence the Law in
this particular has been entirely
changed.
Not content with tho transfer OF
$500 from the treasury of Elko coun-
ty To the Golfers OF the State. our
county has been made TO score au-
o;her loss OF about $40 per annum
under said act by changes in the
license focs-most of which saloon
keepers and faro.men will gain
making Il net loss to the ordinary tax
payer Of about $3.50 for the current
year.
During the year 1892 the loss from
these sources will not be far from
S3,oJo-aggregating for the two years
a loss OF about $3.50 and thereafter
an annual loss OF from $500 to 5000.
Calculated by the change in the
State ratio OF taxation an apparent de-
creas@ in the aggregate loss appears,
but when the State Board of Assess
ors has concluded its lubors FOR the
fiscal year 1891, it is not probable that
tho figures can be revised in favor of
Elko county.
TO offset this loss Of $500 We will
have during the same period of time
acredit Of $500 on account OF a re-
duction in salaries, made up rs fol-
lows: In the Shcritf's salary $500, in
the Treasuror's salary Sl,iJO, in tho
Auditor and Recorders salary 1920,
IN the Clerks salary 800, and in the
District Attorneys salary SSO0-leav-
ing n net loss to the county OF about
three thousand dollars for the years
1891 and 1892.
No allowance is made in this calcu-
lation for n supposed and ott-timc
asserted saving OF either q Deputy
Assessors or Jailer's salary, because,
notwithstanding all that has been
said to the contrary, tho recent Elko
County Salary Act does not cut OFF
such alleged unnecessary expenditure.
The Deputy Sheriff is indeed required
to act rs n jailcr, but neither express
ly nor 10y implication has there been
any repeal OF tho act Of 1870 allowing
the Sheriff moro than one jailer and
directing the County Commissioners
to "provido "a fair and adequate
monthly compensation for tho ser
vices OF all jditcrs." No mention what
ever is made Ola Deputy Assessor in
said Salary Act.
Assuming that the State Board OF
Assessors will neither raise nor lower
tho assessed valuation OF tho taxable
property in Elho. county, ian assump-
tioh evidently not TO be fulfilled as at
least twenty. five per cent. advance
will 10 mndeG over thfeo years must
elnpso before tito gains mndo by tho
salary net will equal tho losses on nc
count,o OF tho revenue law, after allow
ing for tho additional reduction in
salaries of 1880, ntter December, 1892.
When this period has passed into
history and tho gains have at Inst
oqualDed tho losses, when tho revenue
and the salary acts hnye finally bnl,
anced ench other, tho legislation OF
1901 will actually effect n saving to
the taxpayers OF Elko county, outsidc
OF tho Central Pacific Railroad and n
few San Francisco Mining Companies,
OF tho enormous SUI OF nearly ono
thousand dollots per hnnum! Aud
with this sum, uftor more than three
years Of waiting, NO must offset tho
havoc likely to bc occasioped by tho