Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-07-24
That Expense Business.

omy and reform, it being charged by
his supporters that his predecessor
and competitor was careless and eX-
travagant in the matter of incidental
expenses. People might then reason !
ably look for careful economy and eX-
plicit detailed statements of expense
accounts under his administration as
purchasing agent. etc. He was ap-
pointed to this position January 13,
1895, the same day he was installed as
county clerk, although he had never
had any experience calculated to give
him any idea of the supplies needed
by the several county officers nor the
cost of the same and despite the fact
that there were number of officers
within the court house who had had
the required experience to enable
them to be careful and competent
judges of these matters.
In April of that year the commits
sioners allowed his claim of 1884 for
expenses of postage, etc, for the pre-
ceding quarter and appropriated $50
for the next. In July he was allowed
S25 and in October $50. January 9Th.
1897. he was allowed $685.. OF this
S26.95 was to cover a shortage in the
preceding quarter and $50 was esti
mated as necessary for the first quar-
ter of this year.
Under the caption, ''Time to
Stop" the Independent last week
opened up the discussion of this mat
ter by saying that G. w. Cross was
appointed purchasing agent in April,
'97, which is wrong. He was appoint
ed January IL, but Mr.. Utford still
hung on to the money, although he
had no right to use it for any purpose
whatever and gave no account of its
disbursement at the April meeting
except to say that it was all gone.
What became of the money?
The treasurer'S postage and box rent
amounted to 50 for the quarter. The
commissioners therefore allowed $40
| for the second quarter and it was all
used except 20 cents in the hands of
G. w. Cross. Mr.. Ufford having finally
| given way to the lawful agent
The Independent says that the
board called upon Mr.. Cross for de-
tailed statement of his expense ac-
count and that he did not give it.
This is untrue. He gave an exact and
explicit account of every cent of the
$40 and the purpose for which it was
received except SO given Mr.. Ufford.
This statement was placed in the
hands OF Mr.. Swiggett- The Inde-
pendent gives its readers to under
stand that Mr.. Ufford was given $40
worth of stamps. This is untrue. 1t
was paid to him in cold caSh-sOund
mOney-a ten dollar gold piece and if
Mr.. Cross made any mistake it was in
trusting him so much money because
when asked for an account of it Mr..
UffOrd could only say that he had used
it all. These facts are distinctly re-
membered by each of the commission
ers and readers of the Independent
can apply to any one of them for veri-
ticatiOn.
OF the $40, Mr.. Ufford used one
fourth or one-third as much as all the
other officers combined. What did he
do with the money? 1t cannot be
said that he paid express or freight
on official supplies because that was
all paid by Mr.. Cross out of the re-
manning $50.
The chickens Matched in the fall of
80 are now coming home to roOst. For
this return Mr.. Ufford can blame only
his party paper or its informant who
was probably himself.
The Independent would have its
readers think that most OF the $50
was used by the superintendent in ad-
| vOcacy of the county high school. Not
one cent of it was used that way. He re-
ceived SS. 10 in stamps and cash. The
exact time, form, amount and pur
pose of every item of it was recorded
| by Mr.. Cross and reported to the COM
miSSioners OF this allowance the su-
perintendent used 1.SO paying express
ON office supplies from the state super
/ intendent. This leaves Sc. 80 for post
age which our readers can compare
with the SO the clerk claims to have
used but no one SuppoSeS that he need
ed as much as the superintendent.
| The superintendent used this money
in the legitimate business of the Of
flee. Out of this $3.50 he paid all the
postage in connection with the COM
mon school examination, mailing di-
plomaS, questions, etc; in connection
with the teachers examination mail
ing certificates, ETC.; mailing blanks
to district clerks; mailing blanks to
n ct RI ifsf nd lar