The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-25

ton, with Geddes. Roberts and Chris
tepherson at its head, squandered thou
sands and thousands OF dollars of the
( peoples money, and left the present
board legacy of debt amounting to
SSf4,S00.45 besides mourning other debts
TO the amount of $3.50, 900. which the old
commissioners settled by a bond issue.
The Geddes ct al. regime left $S7, 091.54
to pay liabilities of $274 .900.45, a defic-
iency Of S1S7 ,9099l, which the present
county commissioners had to meet, and
but for the extraordinary rigid econ
omy practiced the taxes would have to
have been doubled to meet it. Salaries
were cut TO a minimum and the help
was reduced in every department of the
county government, so that the total
saving in this way for 1897, as COM
pared with 1896. was $90,179.66.
Mr.. Dunbar defied anyone to show
different state of facts than those
presented, and then took w some of
the figures of the Tribune and eX-Coun-
ty Auditor Fisher. who, by the way, is
candidate for reelection ON the Re-
publican ticket, but, judging by the nu-
merouS and glaring inaccuracies on the
face of his official report, his qualifica-
lions Tor the office, Mr.. Dunbar said.
are none the best In that report Mr..
Fisher takes per cent warrants to
the amount of $3.50, 264.27, and per cent
warrants to the amount of $y2, 522.s IS,
and extends the total of the two items
as S216, 1913. an error of only $4,000.
Other Just as glaring mistakes were
pointed out
The Tribune published that the total
amount of the county's liabilities, when
the present board came into office, was
S26lISL13, which is just the amount of
the county warrants hawked by Mr.
Fisher in his report, but stated by him
as s216 7S7.13.
OTHER LIABILITIES IGNORED.
In addition to that sum there were
liabilities as follows, which are totally
ignored by the Tribune, but which the
present county board had to pay just
the same:
Five months interest on $3.50, 900
bonds issued by the Republican board
IN 1895, 81 ,2yL66; interest on outstanding
warrants, $500; tax sale redemptions,
81, S6O.SS; salaries incurred from Oc-
tober 10 December, 1896, and other
items incurred by the old board, $780,
SS4.S4, which sum was appropriated by
the CORNER commissioners on Jan. l
and Jan. 3. 1897, just before the new
board came into Office. although it is
included in the balance supposed
TO have been handed over Y to
the present county board; claims
for goods of various kinds 1851. 81;
balance due Cahoon for State street
paving $1,000, a total of $50, $780, SO which
the Tribune and the Republican candi-
date for auditor entirely ignore Then
again the Tribune puts down as an
asset or money coming into the hands
of the present board $S,216.05 received
from the state for witness and prior
fees, but altogether overlooks the fact
that the county is merely a disbursing
agent in regard to that amount and
paid IL out to the jurors and witnesses
according TO law. Again the Tribune
charges up to the administration for
advertising and costs of sale of prop
erty sold for taxes the sum of 81, 267 IS,
when as a matter of fact most of the
delinquent tax sales were made err
roneously and the costs had to be
waived. Again Fisher and the Tribune
say the amount of the taxes of 1886 in
the hands, of the collector when the
old board went out was $55,O66.17 when
the books show but S49.721.S0.
Another gross misrepresentation by
the Tribune pointed ont by Mr.. Dun
bar was s141, Is which that paper
says was received by the present
board. As a matter of fact S63. 1877
Of that amount was the 9 mill county
school tax which the supreme court
held was unconstitutional and had to
be refunded, while SIS, 702. 90 was part
of the proceeds of the 1896 bond issue
which was received and squandered by
the Geddes, Roberts and Christopher
son triumvirate.
There is no previous record of such
and barefaced misrepre-
sentatiOn OF facts and figures as that
put forward by the Tribune, said Mr. !
Dunbar in conclusion.
Mr.. Dunbars talk and indisputable |
statements made deep impression on |
the audience.
The ladies' quartette sang again and |
a few remarks from John P. Sorensen |
in the Swedish language brought the |
to a close, the remainder of |
the evening being spent by the younger |
portion of the audience in dancing.