The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-10-25

The Republican politicians did not
like the article in yesterdays Herald
concerning Weber county's financial
condition. and concerning the methods
of the present county commissioners in
handling the county's money. TO
the article was revelation. Easy
going people whose active interest in
the management of county affairs
ceased when the present commission
ers were installed, were astounded at
learning of the county's bankruptcy.
Some even went so far as to question
the authenticity of the statements, but
as The Herald's report was merely a
summary compiled from the county
records, there was small comfort in
consulting them.
There was, however. one error, man
ifestly typographical, which was made
hopes of rejecting the Republican
county commissioners. In one place of
the tabulation $500 was made to read
SCI, 900.
The Herald here publishes the cor
rected figures, together with some
more facts:
Money borrowed between Dec. 81,
1895. and Aug. 8, 1896:
December 81, 1895, note to Utah
National bank, payable in one
year ...................... .$l0,U9
June q, 1896, note to Commercial
National bank, since exchanged
for warrant ................ 10000
June 6. 1896, note to Wells. Fargo
& Co., due February 6, 1897. !. $1,000
July 6, 1896, note to D. H. Peery,
payable July 6, 1897. $500
July 6, 1896, note to Utah Nation
al bank. payable Jan. 1. 1897 -. 10000
Aug. 8, note to D. H. Peery, pay
able Aug. g. 1897. ................ 5000
Total Loans. ....................... $500
Other registered warrants out
standing $4,000
IOldI lOduS.. Sb0, 0UU
AT per cent the interest which the
county will have to pay on this sum
IS $3.50. The county could better have
Afforded to do without that magnificent
boulevard up Ogden canyon past the
sawmill of William G. Wilson and
past the pleasure resort owned and
operated by William G.. Wilson and
known as Wilson's Hermitage. 1t could
better have afforded to do without this
or with less luxurious quarters for its
county officials than it could afford to
AAACNA ooNAi a Jul VI Indebtedness.
10 the other phase of the question
there was less to be said, and investi-
cation only made The Herald's case
stronger. Treasurer Boyle was APP
pealed to for information on the sub
ject as to the extent to which money
had been diverted from his custody.
OF the money borrowed by the commits
sioners Mr.. Boyle had received only
$4,000. This was all received in Jan
uary. The first installment was on
Jan. 4 and for $4,000; the second on
jan 16 and for $4,000; the second in
stallment was on Jan. rs and was for
$4,000. After that it would seem that
the slow process of letting the money
go through the channels defined by law
became too irksome and tedious for the
use Of the members of the board. as no
other sums were turned over by the
commissioners to the treasurer. The
only receipts of his office since then
hav been from other officers min
money, which does not pass through
the hands Of the commissioners. What
had been done with the money bor-
rowed, Mr.. Boyle could only conjec-
ture. He has been totally ignored in
the matter
Mr.. Wilson asserted yesterday TO The
Herald representative that The Herald
had construed the records entirely
amiss. The county money is entirely
safe. The banks that have notes do
not have the warrants. They have
been taken uD and cancelled.
BY the treasurer" he was asked.
No. They Will go into the hands
Of the treasurer later, however,
The reporter tried to ask how the
warrants could be cancelled without
going into the hands of the treasurer,
but Mr.. Wilson was very, very busy
and could not stay.
When asked by what authority the
commissioners issued the notes in the
name of Weber county, he said:
Look at the statute. You'll see it
there. The county attorney has looked
it up