The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-02-26
THE COUNTY F1sAsoEs.


ence to the county warrants is IN
pleasant news to the holders of such
paper. The purchasers of those orders
on the treasurer are in a hole, so TO
speak. The working people who have
taken them in payment for labor per-
formed or services rendered, are in a
worse position because they are in
actual need of the money which Is
Their due They must not blame the
present but the previous county Of
flcials for the trouble.
After learning the will Of the people
twice ct the polls, SO that they knew
the public we're opposed to running
the county in debt. the county court
rechleS5ly plunged into the depths. and
the present situation is the conse-
qrence. Investigations into the e1-
sraYasance, if nothing worse. of which
they were guilty, ought to be continued
Until the whole business Is laid bare,
But we have no fears that in the
end anybody viii be defrauded out of
the money which those warrants call
for, that were issued for legitimate
purposes. There must be no repudia-
non OF Just claims. It would not be
wise for anybody in power to try it.
even If they had the disposition to do
so which we by no means aileSe or
| admit.
The question that now arises Is,
what is the best thing to be done ?
Much as we may regret it and strongly
dS we may be opposed to the expedient,
it looks as though the only way out
Of our bondage is by bonds. The
county authorities Will no doubt. have
TO submit the bonding question for the
| third time to the taxpayers.
When we review the course taken
by the body that is now defunct, we
have no regrets over the position
taken heretofore by this paper in op-
! position to bonding the county. If those
| men we're so lavish and extravagant
| in running beyond the means in their
| hands. what would they have done
| with the funds from the bonds to draw
! upon2 The refusal Of the citizens was
right.
Now, however. we are in the hands OF
| different men. Whether they viii be
| any better than their predecessors, who
were Of the same political party, re-
mains to be seen. But the "condi-
tons" now are different, and we are
confronted with some that seem to
demand a different decision from the
public in order to meet them
1t must be remembered that tyar-
rants outstanding draw interest at
eight per cent. while the interest on
bonds would be but five per cent.
Which is a big difference. However,
the temptation is great in going into
bonds to plunge deeper than is abso-
| lutely necessary and thus the increase
/ Of debt makes an increase of interest.
The descent into the gulf Of debt, like
that into the pit of doom, is easy.
The county authorities would not be
! justified in asking the people for
authority to bond the county to any
greater figure than Is essential and
prudent. We do not know that the
Taxpayers are any more willing now
I than before to acquiesce But in view
of debts contracted they may be ready
to eoneede sufficient for the purposes
required while they would reject any
proposition beyond that Expenses
must be hquidated, just debts must be
paid, the county affairs must be con
Quoted, but these contingencies can be
met without extravaganza while
economy can be praeticed without
parsimony. Keep within proper bonds
Since the foregoing was written, the
county court has passed upon the
question. An election is to be called
that the resident taxpayers in Salt
Lake county may have the opportuni
ty of saying by their ballots whether
the county shall be bonded to the
amount of s975,000. That Is a little
over S97,0e0 more than the valid in.
debtedness, the balance being con.
sidered necessary for improvements
on roads and bridges, all that Will b
available before taxes come in AGAR
being needed for ordinary current ex
penses.
I Taking the Whole situation into re-
view, The Herald sees no other way
out Of the difnculties Which confront
the county than to support the bond
ing proposition. 1t may be though
that the amount demanded might b,
made less. But with the expenses
which now are inevitable and thu
!, debt which is contracted, it is scarcelJ
} possible to effect the desired end Will
) much less. Unless by further light w,
may be able to perceive a better way
The Herald Will have to aecede to tn,
bonding proposition and advise 1t.