The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-10-05
BOX ELDER COUNTY.
A STATEMENT OF INTEREST AT
THE PRESENT TIME.
A Knockout How Given to One of
the Chief Plansks in the Republic
an Platform.

BRIGHAM CITY, Oct. 3.-The fol-
lowing self-explanatory Knockout of
one of the chief planks in the Box FL
der county Republican platform will
no doubt be of interest to many of The
Herald readers. You will see it is
signed by a Republican for one. 1t
also shows thai this county is in
splendid financial condition. 1t reads:
ITO the People of Box Elder County.
THE attention of the members of
the board of county commissioners
having been called to the resolutions
adopted by the Republican county con-
vei.tou, which met in Brigham City,
September %, 1896, in which resolutions
statements were made rejecting upon
the actions of the county court. The
resolutions referred to were in part as
follows:
we condemn the Democratic adj
ADMINISTRATION of Box Elder county af-
fairs for partisan methods and not
keeping faith with the people. They
were elected upon platform in 1884
promising to reduce the salaries of all
county officers 20 per cent and promis-
ing an honest administration of the
affairs Of Box Elder county. Instead
of reducing, they have raised salaries.
The county clerks salary has been
raised from $500 to $1,100, and this Of
ficer receives in addition large amounts
as fees in land office proceedings. The
treasurer's salary has been raised from
$3.50 to $500, etc. Box Elder county has
been plunged into debt. Its liabilities
now amount to between $4,000 and
$4,000. Money has been recklessly
borrowed. And then the financial
statements given out have placed I'M
der assets the Fox Elder county court
house, value $4,000, as though 1t could
be sold for the payment of Box Elder
county debts. We charge this to be a
sham
In justice to ourselves. and for the
information of the public, VINO othef-
wise might be deceived by the resolu-
ton quoted, we have prepared and OF
fer as an answer to the charges nnaue
therein the following statement.
The court has endeavored to be falr
and impartial in all its dealings with
the people Whether or not we nave
been. we leave TO the public TO DECIDE.
Respecting the charge that the court
has raised instead of reducing salaries
we will say that a majority OH the
present court were elected upon q
platform which contained pledge 10
reduce the salaries 20 per cent Oh all
county officers whose compensation
The salaries of the county officers for
the wear 1894 We're as follows: County
clerk. $1,000: sheriff, $500; assessor,
$3.50 collector, $3.50; attorney 500;
treasurer. 5000, and the selectmen, 81
In 1895. upon assuming the duties OF
our office. the following resolutions
were adopted by the court as appears
in minute book IF pages 50 ana 10
1T is hereby resolved that the salaries
of the following named officers OF BOX
Elder county be fixed as lolloWs loi
The ensuing year: Clerk, $500; attorney,
$500: treasurer, S160; sheriff, $3.50: ana
that the members of the county court
hereby agree TO accept while attending
the court the statutory fees (S4 per day.
less 90 per cent. and for all committee
work 81 per day, they to furnish their
own conveyance, the county to bear all
other actual expenses. Moved that the
salary of the county assessor be HNeo
for the year 1855 at $3.50 including all
extra work necessary to be done. Inc
extra. work referred 20 IN this motion
included the taking the census OF Box
Elder county 1t was further moved
that the salary of the county collector
be fixed for the year 1895 at $500" And
in accordance with these resolutions
these were the salaries paid for that
year.
In 1896 under statehood the duties OF
the county clerk, Sheriff and attorney
We're greatly increased and it was pro-
vided by the state legislature that fees
received by all county officers should
be paid over to the county treasurer.
The salary of the county attorney was
fixed by the state Legislature at $500,
assessor at $3.50, collector $500 and the
treasurer at $500 in counties of the ninth
class to which class this county be-
longed, and this court had no power
to fix them otherwise
The maximum salary provided by
the legislature for the county clerk in
counties of the ninth class is $3.50. TAX
ing into considera ton the fact that the
clerk received in 1896 in addition to his
salary of $500, $3.50 in fees, his salary
was fixed at $l,100, a slight decrease
from the amount received by him in
1895, notwithstanding his additional
/ duties and responsibilities as clerk of
the district court and county auditor.
We have made d careful examination
of the fee book of the county clerk
and find that he has paid over to the
county treasurer all fees received by
him including the charges made by him
for work done in all kinds of land pro-
ceedings
Respecting the Indebtedness of Boy
Elder county we present the following
statement, showing the true condi-
ton of the finances of the county:
LIABILITIES.