The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-07
THEY ALL SUCCEED
The Division of Park County Hasn't
Proved Disastrous.
ONE EXCHANGE DIFFERS
Figures Given That the Reader
May Form an Opinion for Him
self Regarding the Status
Of the Case.

Special Correspondence Of the Standard.
Livingston, Jan. 5.-The Livingston
Post appears to be greatly exercised
over the following article which re-
Gently appeared in the Standard under
Livingston date:
THE division of Park county hasn't
been attended with any very disastrous
results; indeed, the formation of Sweet
Grass and Carbon counties has thus
far been to the financial advantage of
the parent county. Though the segre-
CATION took place less than a year ago,
yet within this time Park county's in
debtedness, through the wise and econ
omical management of the present
board of commissioners, has been ma
terially reduced, and this, too, in spite
of the fact that the two new counties
took nearly one-half of the assessable
property of Park county"
The Post undertakes to demonstrate,
by perverting facts and juggling with
figures. that the Indebtedness of Park
county has been increased rather than
diminished since March 1, 1895. Speak
ing "fguratively." it must be admitted
that the Post article does credit to the
ingenuity of it's writer Those who
have read the article will no doubt
agree with the Post when 1t says:
I'VE have made as correct and favor
able exhibit (of the indebtedness of
Park county, as we know how to
make, and yet we are painfully con-
scious that the figures will hardly con-
vey to the average reader the real sta
tus of Park county's liabilities"
That is a rather startling admission
to make, but it's all right; 1T expresses
a whole lot Further on in the article
the Post asserts that in less than six
months from Jan. 1, every dollar now
in the county treasury, including the
1929 received from the two new
counties, will have been expended, but
no account is taken of the fact that
the county, while it is paying bills, is
also earning money. Assuming that the
treasury will be empty within six
months, which 1t will not, what about
licenses, taxes and money to be derived
from the delinquent tax sale? While
taxes are not due until the first Mon
day in December of each year, yet the
county is earning money every day.
The following figures, showing the
financial condition of Park county on
March l and December 1 of last year.
and taken from the official financial
statements. are furnished by County
Clerk Charles Angus:
Bonded indebt'ness, Mch.
l...... $Z0O,OOO
Interest due on bonds. 2,133
Outstanding warrants. 10, $50
Cash on hand, available. $16.925
Net indebtedness, Mch. $19S, S04
Bonded indebt'ness, Dec.
H.. .......... ........ 5000, 900
Interest due on bonds. $3.50
Outstanding warrants. 2,429
Cash on hand, available $3.50
Net indebtedness Dec. l.. S152, 721
Now, according to this showing, and
the figures are official, the indebted
ness of Park county was $46,0S3 less on
Dec. i, 1895, than 1t was on March /,
1895.
1t Is an easy matter to arrive at the
relation the indebtedness of March l,
1896, will bear to that which existed on
March /, 1895. The bills allowed at the
December session of the commissioners
amounted to 1922 The only other ex-
penses to be added are the salaries of
officers for December. January and
February, aggregating s5,162 The to-
tai amount of money therefore TO be
paid out for the months of December.
January and February only amounts
to s13,4S4, which added to the net in
debtedness existing Dec l, 1895, gives
s166,205. From this amount there
should be taken the Carbon county
warrant of s14, 524. which is not counted
as available cash on hand in the De-
cember statement, but will be con-
verted into cash before next March.
This gives s151,6S1. or the amount of
the Indebtedness as IL will exist on
March 1. 1896, so that taking the fiscal
year in its entirty, the indebtedness of |
Park county during the first IL months |
of division will have been decreased |
$47123