Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-01-10
A SLUMP In SCRIP.
The Harvest Of Republican altman
eiering', now BEING Reaped.

Not until the Citizens Bank sent q
a communication to the county com
missioners last Thursday did the public
in general have an mixing that county
scrip was piled up in Overwhelming
quantity and thai it was subject to de-
probation. The fact, although a man
who was aware of the true condition OF
affairs could see the inevitable end.
a clear sky. The communication from
the Citizens Bank stated that the con-
tract carried with it the understanding
that not over ten thousand dollars in
scrip was TO be carried at one time, End
that it had been continually on the IN
crease until they now are carrying
twenty thousand dollars in warrants.
The bank further stated that it would
be impossible for them to longer pay
par for the scrip and requested that
contract until the amount of county
paper on hand should be reduced to the
nominal sum. The board promptly
granted the request as matter of JUS
tice to the bank, and scrip, which has
for four years been at par took sud-
den slump.
The reasons conspiring to bring
about this result are obvious to those
who have kept up with the trend of
events, and the calculation of the mat
ter requires the presentation of a little
history. When the Citizens Bank took
charge Of the county funds script was
worth only 96 cents, and the county
had been receiving but per cent. In.
terest on deposits. Since that time the
bank has bought all scrip at par and
paid per cent. interest to the county.
But instead of the paper OH hand re-
naming near the ten thousand mark
it has gradually crept up until at pres
ent it is over $4,000. This is due en-
:irely to disprOporton of revenue as
compared with expenses. course OF
unbusinesslike proceeding that, while
its work may be slow, always ends in
disaster. For the information of our
readers we submit few figures from
the records, showing plainly the cause
of the present decline of our credit,
and to whom the responsibility is due
In 1890 the valuation of Barber coun-
ty property was $3,076,79l. Upon this
amount the commissioners levied
a tax of mills fol the county
general fund, raising SIS, 46O.74 for that
| purpose. The expenses for that year
were $25,014.11 which was $6,553.37 in
excess of the receipts. The next year.
1891, the valuation of property was 81
| OPS, 40 and the levy made was mills.
This reduction in the levy was made
in the face of the fact that on the year
previous the deficit was over six thou
sand dollars as shown above. The
amount raised that year was $15, 1905,
over three thousand dollars less than
the year previous. The expenses drawn
| from the fund that year an ounted to
S26, 964.77 which exceeded the revenue
Sl1 1882. No wonder our scrip has
deprecated after such financiering as
So"S' Il Va bilO hCOol JCuI VI 1OOA a IDA
of Z! mills was LEVIED OH a valuation of
$685., 472 which brought in $22,2lS.54.
The expenses for that year out of that
fund were $28, 922.38, another overdraft
Oh the treasury of S6,703.Se Thus in
three successive years following the
time when script began to be purchased
at par under the contract with the
county depository there was an over
draft on the county general fund each
year, amounting in total to So, O91 90.
During all this time majority of the
| board were anti-pOpulist and we are
now reaping what they have sown.
But how differently the records show
| in 1898 when the board became popu-
list. Upon valuation of 81, 1896, 7l8
there was made levy of mills, bring
ing into the treasury $26 .970.46. Up to
| this time when the board again becomes
republican, there has been expended
Sl9,5S2.2 % leaving balance of s., 1888 %
on the credit side. But even this could
not avert the disaster resulting from
the pillng of over twenty-five thousand
dollars excess on the county, which is
sole cause of depreciation in our paper
| From these figures taken from the rec
ords, the responsibility falls with unerr-
ing certainty upon the boards that did
not make sufficient levy to meet expens-
es. The unbusinessllke management
of finances by our friends the enemy
has not only caused loss to every hold
er of scrip but has seriously injured
the credit and standing of the county.
The facts presented above also ac-
counts for small increase in the tax,
for which the republicans seek to CEN
sure the populist administration.
Levies made byl former boards had
proven entirely insufficient to meet ex-
penses which had created the enormous
deficit. No man with a scintilla OF
business sense in his his Uranium will
say in honesty that there is even a pri-
mary element of economy or admins
trative ability shown in leving tax too
small to meet expenses. An endeavor
to sustain the credit of the county, after
it had reached the brink of the precipice
was the cause of a raise in the tax.
To recoup from the situation in which
the county is placed it will be necessary
to continue the line of retrenchment.
The tax payers of the county will be nee
essarily compelled to make good the dis
crepancies which have been made. 1t
will require a methoGical reduction of
expenses as we'll as sufficient levy to
meet those current. until the county is
placed on solid foundation and its
credit restored. The greatest good Ia
the greatest number demands that the
interest of the tax payer be pre- eminent
above all others. We believe that the