The aegis & intelligencer., 1893-10-20
pig-headed and obstinate, would have


bridges the tax rate was increased
by the fact that at least three-fourths
of the road-menders did more work
ON the roads than their warrants
called for, the increase ranging from
25 to 100 per cent. Prominent among
those who are denouncing the present
County Commissioners are many who
have thus exceeded the amounts they
were authorized to expend and who
demanded, without any compunc-
ton, payment of the excess which was
not ordered by the board. 1t may
be said that the Commissioners
should not have allowed the increase
when they had not ordered it, but no
board of County Commissioners,
whether Republicans, Democrats or
Prohibitionists, would reject a road
account which was accompanied by a
verified statement that the work in
excess of the warrant was absolutely
demanded by public convenience or
on the score of public economy
The courts have decided that road
supervisors are liable for any failure
to keep their roads in proper repair
whether they have already expended
the amount of their warrants or not.
There is no doubt that the road
members worked upon the roads as
many days as they charged for in
their warrants. They simply yielded
to the general demand in all parts of
the county for better roads and ex-
ceeded the amount of their warrants.
Refusal to pay this excess would have
involved the county in hundreds of
lawsuits. The result has been roads
of which Hartford county may be
proud. We believe that too much
was spent, under the old road system,
upon temporary repairs, but we are
encouraged to believe that under the
new system, devised and recommend
ed by the Deer Creek Farmers Club,
better results will follow at a smaller
expenditure.
In order that this subject may be pre-
sented in a tangible way we have gath
| cred some statistics which we hope
every voter will read and consider
They are an appeal to reason and are
addressed to reasonable, thinking
men, who desire to know the truth
and to be governed by it.
For nine years, from 1888 to 1891, in
elusive, with the exception of 1886,
when the county tax was 100 cents.
on account Of the flood expenses of
1885, the lowest tax rate was "a cents
on the 500. Assuming that the coun-
ty government can be properly ad-
ministered at that rate, year by year,
let us see, by comparison, what the
increase of 1892 amounted to and for
what purpose and by whom it was ex-
pended.
The tax rate of 1892 was 103 cents
and for 1887, "A cents. The increase in
1892 over 1887, therefore, was 80 cents
on the 800. 1t will be interesting to
ascertain why this increase of go cents
in 1892 over the normal tax rate of
1887 was necessary.
The levy for public schools in 1892
was 90 and one-fifth per cent. of the
total amount raised by taxation, or
$29, ,0O3.17 This was an increase Of
$5,941.s2 over 1887, and represents
about cents of the 90 cents increase.
The extra and special appropriations
for road repairs, including new roads,
in 1892 was 2Os per cent. of the taxes,
OF $2S, ,217-the increase over 1887, for
the same purposes, being 1854. 81,
representing 12 cents of the 90 cents
increase.
The regular appropriations for
roads in 1892, including payments for
lumber, was "a per cent. of the total
taxes, or $33, 1868. The increase over
1887, for the same purposes, was $l2,-
616.17, which represents about 81 cents
of the 80 cents increase.
Thus we have accounted for pa
| Ccllts VI tilc 80 COueo lhSlCoSO "liiOi
was made necessary by the imperative
demands of the people of the county.
The balance of the 80 cents increase,
At cents, is represented by an increase
in court expenses, outpensioners, hos
pitals and commissions to tax collec-
tors, sc.
| WuERE THE MONEY WENT
To specify in particular we will
show where this sum of $2S, S,217, levied
in 1892 for repairs of roads, bridges
and erection of new bridges went to.
There were opened and paid for in
the levy of 1892, four new roads, name
ly, two in the 1st district, one in the
5th district and one in the 4th district,
as follows:
Cullum Road, Stony Forest, 1st dist. $3.50 60
| Hartford Furnace Road, 1st dist ....... 1877 20
Highland Station Road, 5th dist. Il ,008 03
Road near n. B. Heaps, 4th dist..... 709 90
Total for new roads. 1874 IL
Five new bridges were erected and
paid for in the levy of 1892, as follows
Bush Bridge, LIST dist. st................$1,63 ,63S 9S
Bridge over Ha Ha Branch, lst dist. 2l7 "a
| Bridge near Cooksville, 5th dist. 291 SO
| Bridge over Bynum's Run, on road
from Charles w. Pocock's to John
| Moores, Sd dist Observation-Disclosures. 307 II
Bridge at Thomas Fording, Deer
Greek, Sd district. ,42s SO
Total fol new Bridges. :. 1888 rs