The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-29

Chairman Armstrong was in consul
tation with County Attorney Van Coti
yesterday, the subject under consider
alton being the late decision of the su-
prane court in the county warrant
case. SO far as the decision is con-
ccrned, it left the county very much
at sea as to the method of paying off
the Indebtedness of 1896 left as a legacy
to the new board. The commissioners
are all puzzled and so is the county
attorney, and now to make everything
clear another test case is likely to be
brought before long; in fact this de-
cision was reached by the county Of
ficials yesterday.
The situation is this: Soon the board
will have TO make the tax levy. Now,
there is a deficiency of over $4,000 since
last year. and the question is, should
this be paid out of this years revenue?
If so, then it is plain that the board
must levy a special tax in addition TO
the levy necessary to conduct the af-
fairs OF the county during the present
year This question has not been SET
tied b. the supreme court, hence The
confusion.
So that the taxpayers may thoroughly
understand the proposition, it may be
ers arc anxious TO get the county on a
cash basis. OF course if they must use
the taxes collected this year to pay last
years debt the county can not be put
on a cash basis for several years. This
is exactly what all the warrant scalp
ers want. They are fighting every ef-
fort OF the county board to arrange
matters so that when a man gets his
warrant he can go to the treasurer and
-, Of 10
90 to a scalper and have it discounted
from TO 20 per cent.
But there stands that $50, 500 which
must he paid in some gay. Under the
law the beard could, no doubt, submit
the question of bonding the amount to
a vote of the people. OF course this
would be vigorously fought by the
brokers, for as soon as the amount was
bonded the county would be on a cash
basis.
Now the supreme court will be asked
to explain to the commissioners how
this $50, 1000 Of debt left over from the
able Republican administration is to
be Daid-should there be a, special TAX
levy, or should bonds be issued for the
amount?
There was one point in the courts
decision which has been the subject of
much discussion and comment among
the IQeUlDeES u lHC 1CSoA II cIACA 4AAbS
The supreme court, it will be remem-
bered, held that the old board was
working under the territorial law I'M
til June ), 1896
The old law provided that the county
could not only exhaust the revenue
for any one year, but also in addition
create an Indebtedness equal to the
total revenue of the two years preced-
ing. Section 8, article II, Of the con-
inrn off ia n
4, 1896, says:
mo debt in excess of the taxes for
the current year shall be created by
airy county or subdivision thereof;
unless the proposition to create such
debt should have I IN submitted to a
vote of the qualified electors, etc.
Section .. article "a. of the constitu-
ton, saws:
"An laws of the territory of Utah
.low in force. not repugnant to this
constitution, shall remain in force I'M
til they expire by their own limitations
or are altered or repealed by the leg
islature.'
1t seems very plain that the trainers
OF the constitution intended the first
named section as a guard against coun-
ties being plunged into debt. The court,
however. decided that the old territorial
law. which allowed the board to create
nant TO that section of the constitu-
ton which provides expressly that the
board cannot expend more than the
revenues during the current year.
It is interesting to know that not a
single one of the attorneys in their ar
guments before the court commended
that the old territorial law or that
portion of it relating TO the creating OF
debt by counties was in force after the
constitution went into effect
Mr.. Armstrong, when seen yesterday,
said: We viii pay all the warrants
issued last year out Of the funds from
that year. ard when the amount is
exhausted we will stop. If the court
then tells US we must begin to use this
years revenue to pay off last years
warrants, why, 1 for one shall feel
like rssigning.
I'VE started in to give the people of
the county an economical, good bust
ness administration. The constitution
intended counties should
be put on a cash basis. and We have
exerted every effort to bring that
Q bout. We will continue to do so and
exercise our best judgment as businr IS
men, despite the opposition, who in
clude some Of the ex-cOunty officials.
They evidently are interested in some
way"
As badness makes one look prema-
turely old. so full head of hair gives
to mature life the appearance OF youth
To secure this and prevent the former,
Ayers Hair Vigor is confidently re-