The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-19
The SeIectmen.

The SeIectmen.
The county selectmen have at last
found defender in the personality of
the Tribune, which yesterday morning
prints a column in defense of the bus
/ mess methods of the county court. AS
a result, the reports of the proceed
ings of that body will not be as lurid
as heretofore. OF late the reporters
of that paper have occasionally stated
facts and this has caused the select
men pain. This last defense is in Inns
with that printed by the News a few
days ago, signed Justice" This,
while not signed Justice, Injustice or
ANYTHING else, bears the earmarks of a
friend of the county court and not
/ those of a member of the papers re-
1 portorial staff.
Great stress is laid upon the fact
! that this county court has rot eX-
pended as much money upon roads as
/ did the old. While this paper does not
care to discuss the actions OF the OLD
/ court; has nothing to say of the mem
/ oers actions, this statement Will pc
made In an attempt to defend them
j selves from the charges of salary
/ grabbing the seIectmen give vent to
the cry: I'VE are not taking as much
as the other fellows" As concerns
| figures, this paper nor any other can
not state with any degree of accuracy
just how much is being expended.
The assertions made as relates to
the cost of state road work may be
true, and may not be true. No re-
porter of any paper has had any
/ chance to get at the figures, save by
the grace of the selectmen themselves.
This statement may come from the
GsIo
few days ago a reporter for the Tri-
/ bune was closeted with the expert, per
haps for the purpose of showing this
state of alleged affairs.
Stress is laid upon fhe fact that this
court has not expended one-half the
amount used by the old county court
upon roads and bridges. OF course
this paper has nothing to do with the
expenditure of the old county court.
1t is making no comparisons. This
court is doing we'll, however. 1t has
spent $121S7.S9 thus far, and the fail
season, when roads are cared for the
winter. has not yet begun. No state
ment of poll tax worked has as yet
been made either.
The claim is made that to guard
against excessive claims by supervis-
ors. the court has been compelled to
make frequent trips to the country to
look after these officials This speaks
well for the physical ability of the
appointees of this court and very i'll
for their honesty. 1t required all three
to hold them down in charges, it ap-
pears, for they went to each place in
platoons, with few exceptions, and it
would seem from this the selectmen
were not over confident in the integ-
rity of their supervisors. AS has been
stated by The Herald, the books of the
county clerk are kept so as to prevent
anyone getting at the actual cost of
roads. The mileage of the selectmen
in their inspecting trips should be
charged to road account by rights,
but under the rules adopted by this
court it is charged to compensation.
Mr.. GeddeS must be pricked in a
tender spot as regards his pauper bus
mess, for the manager of his literary
bureau devotes considerable space to
this part of the business. He goes on
the principle, 50 says his sponsor, of
every time an application is made for
help to make mileage in ascertaining
whether the case is a worthy one or
not. Inasmuch as the applicants for
favor are confined to a certain num-
Der, it would appear that Geddes must
do q lot of travelling in an effort to
determine whether hungry people are
really hungry. Perhaps he can be as
sisted in this enterprise by a diagnosis
by the county physician.
On July Geddes charged 81 for
"pauper work" Why does not the lit
erary manager of the county bureau
explain why, where and for whom this
charge was made? 1t is dollars to
doughnuts that the charge for pauper
work on this occasion cost the county
more than the relief actually afforded,
if any.
Concerning that poor farm team
which the selectmen have paid for"
as stated by this defender of the faith,
is it not fact that not a cent was
ever paid until The Herald called at
tention to the use of the vehicle by the
selectmen and then they turned SIS in
to tho treasury? Oh, that is a jolly
defense they are making!
Then the census They claim that as
an excuse for spending money. The
assessor told them he would take the
militia census for $1,000. No, they could
have it done cheaper. 1t cost the coun-
ty $4,000 instead of one.
But the final wind-up takes the cake.
1T was a problem at the beginning of
the year how to keep the expense of
the county within it's income says the
novelist in the selectmen's employ.
There isn't man in the county who
ever doubted the ability OF the county
to run and save money. 1t was for the
purpose of funding the debt these men
asked for bonds and so certain We're
they that they could keep tTithin the
income they declared they could save
enough in ten years TO pay off the
bonds and begin this year. They even
went so far as to announce in this pa
per if the bonds were voted they could
afford to expend $4,000 on roads.
The defense made is the weakest
ever attempted by a set of men who
were endeavoring to shield themselves
from the Indignation Of an outraged
public.
Bogus Registrars.
Democratic ladies are cautioned to