The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-30
FINANCES OF
WAKE COUNTY
County Treasury is Bankrupt
and Cannot Pay Orders.
NEARLY $4,000 BEHIND
HIS CLAIM, EVEN ADMITTING
ALL HIS FIGURES, NOT
MADE GOOD.
SCHOOL FUND USED TO PAY ORDERS
The Latest Figures by Register of Deeds and
Sheriff, and the Admissions Of The County
Treasurer, Show that Wake County
is Not Well Managed.

We publish below Il statement from
Sheriff Jones and Register of Deeds
Rogers relating TO county finances.
Some ten days or more ago the editor
of the News and Observer went to the
Register of Deeds and asked for state
meut of the settlement of the sheriff with
the Board of Commissioners. That Off
cial replied that it had not been recorded
but was in his hands to record. To
eether we went over the statement and
/ wrote .own in detail the figures he
called out for the various county, school,
road and State taxes. When this state
ment was finished. request was made
for the amount collected by Sheriff Page
for the wear 1896. Turning to his re-
cord for that year Mr.. Rogers gave the
figures in detail, adding later that he
did have the exact figures as to the
amount paid the State Treasurer. Leav-
ing his office with the information fur
nished. a note was addressed to the
State Treasurer for the amount paid for
State taxes. The next morning these
figures were published EXACTLY AS
FURNISHED BY THESE TWO OF
FICERS. They may not have under
stood the matter fully. Certain
" not in what shall follow
will it be contended that they
desired to deceive This statement
is given here because Sheriff Jones and
Register of Deeds Rogers claim that
those published last week were incorrect.
If so. the mistake was made by the Off
Gals above named, whether through in
adyertency or a misapprehension of
what was desired-it is for them to say.
What the editor wanted to furnish his
readers and the taxpayers of the county
was the truth about county finances and
county management The following facts
were in our possession:
1. We knew that the sheriff had failed
to make a full settlement at the meeting
in May as required by law.
2. We knew that when there was a
so-calley settlement in June he paid less
money into the county treasury bv
$4,000 lin round fgures) than he
should have collected.
3. We knew that the county treasury
was bankrupt and county orders had
been offered for sale below par, and
a. We knew that the County Treas
urer without authority of law. had been
paying ont the sacred money for the
public schools for ordinary county ex-
penses.
1t was to get the official figures TO
establish these facts that the editor Of
this paper in person mot a reporter, as
Sheriff Jones thinks) went to the custo-
dian of the official records to get the Off
cial figures. As to any discrepancies in
those figures as furnished then and as
furnished now, the Register of Deeds
must reconcile his first figures with his
last. Soon after they were published,
happening to meet Sheriff Page (who
knew nothing about the publication until
he saw it in the paper he said that some
of the figures were incorrect.
The official statement of Register Of
Deeds Rogers. while different from his
first statement, and the admissions of
officials confirms the material part OF
our statement to-wit
L. That the sheriff did not make q
full settlement as required by law, lack
ing 1861. AS of meeting his obligation.
There is no warrant of law for giving
him an extension of time.
2. That, though he ought, from the IN
crease in taxes due. to have paid the
County Treasurer $1,000 more laccord
ing the Register of Deeds figures) than
was paid by Sheriff Page.
3. There is no pretence by anybody
that the county treasury can meet its
obligations.
4. County Treasurer Knight admits he
has used about $500 of the sacred
school fund to pay county expenses.
1T does not matter what else may Or
may not appear, these facts obtained
from officials of the party in power,
furnish an illustration of the incapacity
of the present officers to have charge OF
the affairs of Wake county. If some of
the. officeholders had not caused it to be
spread broadcast over the State that the
present crowd had saved $4,000 to the
Wake county taxpayers, and that $1,000
more had been paid into the treasury
by the present sheriff than by any of his
predecessors, the necessity of exposing
the fragrant violations of law and short
comings of the officials might have been
postponed until later in the year. But
anxious to get praise not deserved these
men have illustrated the old saying
"There was man
He digged pit.
He digged it for his brother.
To punish his sin
He did fall in