Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-11-28
THE COUNTY BOARD.
Some Things it Did, and Some Things il Might
Have Done.

cont ihiHkb IL ului ana SOME EhinRS X MlRhl
Have Done.
The report Of the Soldiers Relief
commission developed an irregu-
larity in the disbursing Of funds that
should have heen sooner discovered.
TO have Il appear that this special
fund was overdrawn to the amount
Of S34i59 while in fact there was an
uneNpended balance in the fund of
S595.35--a difference of $9S9.94--indi-
Gates that nobody has given very
close attention to this branch Of pub
lie service. In this connection 1t Is
consonant to express approval Of
the action granting space In the
court house yard for the erection Of Il
levied for the relief fund the coming
years sol. .l0-and tho balance of
the fund now In hand from former
leyies-$596,36--it appears that there
Is available to the fund $2,I4A.i5.
Past experience has been that less
than $4,000 can be made to meet the
annual needs for relief Therefore,
If 1t can be legally done, why not ap-
propriate $500 Of that fund toward
county monument? The suggestion
Is thrown out for consideration at
the January session of the board.
In raising the salary Of the district
attorney to $1,000 per year the board
did proper thing. A similar raise
in salary Of county school supcrin-
tendent should have been made.
Under recent laws, increasing the
duties and responsibilities, and adj
yancing the qualification require
ments Of that officer, the present
salary is too small. 1t should be at
least $1,000 per year, ne5. The same
pay would be but fair compensation
for the county clerk.
After carefully reading the reports
and statements concerning the
county asylum, il is difficult to har-
monize them. Beyond question, the
erection aud maintenance Of the
asylum has been better for tho
county than not to have had them,
but some clearer method Of showing
the fact would be appreciated by
the average citizen. An exhibit
showing thousands Of dollars saved
annually, coupled with others show
ing deficit for the past year, ask
ing an appropriation Of $4,000 for
the next year. and no provision made
for paying the 10000 asylum debt
which falls due III about nine years,
are confusing. The defeat Of Mr..
Jones resolution, setting aside $1,000
annually, TO meet the asylum bonds
when they fall due, out Of the an
nual earnings Of the institution,
needs explanation.
The force Of persistent effort was
well illustrated in the final triumph
OF the telephone company IN secur-
ing the county as its patron for two
Instruments. After hints from out
siders the board came to see that the
telephone company's first proposi-
ton meant getting the county 10
construct and donate to the company
five miles of line in it, proposed
inter-county system, and that scheme
was withdrawn. In the end, the
company omitted 10 o6tigafe itself
to construct the lines suggested 20
Mineral Point, Highland and other
points In the county, as il was trr-
6nHy announced would be done
when the propositions to make the
county its patron were pending.
Mr.. Jones resolution fixing rates
for committing tralnps and for keep
| ing same over night at Il maximum
81 - cents each was timely, in view
Of The large claims for such services
by Dodgeville officials, which the
board had been called upon to audit.
postponing action In the matter of
county aid fof great seni-senten-
nial celebration Of the admission Of
the state into the union, was discretc
There are no dividends in theseheme,
except for the city in which the pro-
posed blowout h held.
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