The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-01-19
ANNUAL STATEMENTS.

Inc Echo says the SchO,l law directs
that the annual statements Ut schOOl
districts are to w published Tin the
local papers" 1t don't, but with the
usual perspicuity Of North Dakota
statutes it saysi it must be publish.
ed" but where or how Is left to the
Judgment Of the treasurer, and as he
usually elects to stick 1t ON the side Ut
a snow DRIFT, or equally public place,
he probably fulfills the word "pub-
lish" to a certain degree, whether In
the legal sense or not.
To US, it seems that the present
system Of township and school dis.
trict government is open to the crlti.
cism, that nobody. except the govern.
Ing boards, knows what is going Oh.
The taxpayers money, equalling two
third Of ali taxes paid, is collected
and expended and not one taxpayer
In ter knows anything about it ex-
cept that the money is paid by him,
and expended by somebody else.
1t goes without saying, that any
and every taxpayer is interested in
the expenditure of the money he
pays; and not only should itemized
statements be published annually,
but brief statement of the business
transacted at every meeting of school
board or township board should be
published In local paper.
There can be only two objections
to such publication, the cost and
trouble. So far, however, local pa
pers have never made any charge for
publishing minutes Of township or
school board when they have been
sent In. This is hardly fair to the
papers, but proves that they would
he glad to publish such proceedings
at u very small expense. The trouble
would be to the township or district
clerk, and ii necessary small fee
would pay him amply. The cost to
the individual taxpayer would be
slight indeed compared with satisfac-
tion received.
The proceedings of the county com.
missioners are read with much inter-
est by almost every taxpayer and yet
the county business involves but
about Que fifth Of the taxes paid and
extends all over the county. while the
township and school district business
Is OF almost as much local Interest as
that OF che taxpayer himself.
While we are writing, and without
making this article too long, we want
to say that the present system of
making the county quarterly state.
ments is a matter Of very little inter-
est to the general reader. The funds
In which he has particular and local
interest, are tOtalized as to receipts,
expenditures and balances. The
average taxpayer cares nothing to
know how much all the districts have
received or how much money all the
townships have in the hands of the
county treasurer, what he wants to
know Is how much money his own
school district treasurer has received
'r how much is coming to his particu-
lar township. OF course such state
lnents would cost more to publish
then the present form, but better pay
something and get something, than
pay less for little or nothing. II the
expense would seem too great, then
publish these itemized statements
only once In six months, but such
statements are what are needed.
They can be put in tabular form and
will occupy about half or three quar-.
tiers of a column, and can be made
thus to show balance on hand at last
report, amount received In taxes,
amount given to each district and
township treasurer. and balance on
hand, and The who runs may read.'
Let there be light!