The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-02-04
FINANCES OF YAKIMA.
The Commissioners Submit a Detailed
Report Of The COunty'S Condition.
MAIL DELIVERY FOR The COUNTRY

Mr. Woodc ock Was Not Opposed 10
the Removal OF the Ahtsnun,
Academy ne Would Hest sub.
serve the Interests Of that Inssitu-
ton.
We, the county commissioners OF iaki'
ma county, recognizing upon entering
into office the imperative necessity un.
der the present condition OF business de.
preston for reform, retrenchment and
strict economy in the administration Of
the fiscal affairs OF our county, and in
terpreting the result of the recent election
as an emphatic assertion of that necessity
and preemptory demand for its prac.
teal realization by our constituents; and
finding that the preceding board had
omitted at the expiration OF their terms
of office to hand down to us report OF
having in view of the premises and to
conserve the interest of the people caused
to be made an investigation and sum-
mary of the fiscal standing of the county,
respectfully submit the following in.
formation resulting from such investiga-
ton:
ASSESSED VALUATION.
Assessed valuation Of the county for
fA,tS
COUNTY PROPERTY.
We find the property of the county, exclus
i've Of cash i'll the treasury and taxes due, to be
as follows:
Seven bridges NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. ...... $5I 500
Courthouse, fixtures and grounds ...... 5000
Forty acres of land ..................... 500
Total. .$41,3 900
DEBT-PAyISG RESOURCES.
The total resources of the county available
for paying its obligations are as follows:
Cash in the treasury. ............f $3.50 as
Unsolicited taxes for the years from
1858 to 1896, both inclusive ..... ... Ioo e24 90
Penalty and interest and costs on
count of delinquent taxes.....,..... 7744o oS
Total............ ..................fI3 6,raI 80
LIABILITIES
The obligations owing by the county are as
follows:
Bonded Debt
Bonds bearing per cent interest. s Sc, 900 90
b, nds bearing s. per cent interest. 5000 90
Total observation-disclosures. &I5S,ooo 90
Floating Debt
Bills approved by commissioners and
superior court bills ...............S 4,6S3 So
Warrants bearing interest at 10 per Ct 7ss2o 81
Warrants bearing interest at sper ct so,639 81
Total warrants ................f 70 400 "a
Interest due O az
Interest due on per cent warrants. 1894 IS
Total interest due on warrants. S as,52s az
Total floating debt, sIoo,47s 50
1t is startling fact that the interest
accrued and unpaid upon the total war
rant Indebtedness of 6,466,4i, now
amounts to almost one third of the face
of the warrants, namely to $25, 32S 90
Tn is results from the high rate OF interest
borne by these warrants. The interest
accruing each year on the $25 ,S26,57 OF
10 per cent warrants amounts to the sum
of $2,5S2 66. The interest accruing each
year on the $50, 500 81 of per cent war
rants amounts to 81 051.l9 making the
total interest accrung each year on the
warrants the sum of SO, 633 So.
At the time said 10 and per cent war
rants respectively were issued, 10 and s
per cent may not have been exorbi tant
interest; may have been in due proper
ton to the prices for labor and the pro-
ducts of labor; but since then, labor and
its products, and especially farm pro.
ducts, have been pressed down in price
to about one-half OF what they were when
said warrants were issued, while the in
terest on the warrants runs night and
day at the old rate. Thus our people
have to make about twice the sacrifice
in labor and products to pay this bu rden
of interest that they would have to make
were the interest down to the rate for
which money can now be obta ined-s
rate approximately proportionate to pres.
ent prices of labor and commercial pro.
ducers.
To illustrate: While the warrant in
debtedness OF $40, 466. "A is not quite one
half OF the bonded indebtedness of $780,
600 it draws an annual interest OF 81, 633, :
So while the bonded debt of more than
twice the warrant debt, although bearing
a higher interest than money now COM
mands, draws but 1925.
The spectacle of our people in these
hard times bearing the burden of debt
exhibited In the foregoing summary,
should certainly prompt all our tax-pay-
ers to reflection on which course it is best
to pursue in order to tighten the burden
as much as possible; and should also
emphasize in the minds OF our officials
their duty to economic as much as is
consistent with the public welfare in the
administration of county affairs. In
pursuance OF this obvious duty, and in
obedience to what We believe to be the
manifest will of our constituents, we have
cut down the expenses of the county Of
fees by reducing the nun Der of deputies
employed in the court house from six to
four, and by reducing the salaries of the
deputies employed to $50 per month. 1t
is also our purpose to cut down all the
county charges inst as much as can rea-
sonably be deemed consistent with the
public convenience and welfare and to
carry thaae DuYnnaea into axacutiOn u q