Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-10-14
Mr.. Lane Registers a Kick in Time
for bob" to Pinch COrns.

for Bob" to Pinch COrns.
EDITOR STANDARD:
! To-day | am in receipt OF the long
looked for report OF the County Audi
tor for the year ending June 30, 1897.
Upon glancing at the outside page, l
notice printed "Auditor's Statement
Of the Finances of Thurston County
from July l, 1896, to June 80, 1885,"
thus making it biennial in place of
an annual statement.
Having glanced at the report, l turn
to the general statement of outstand-
ing Indebtedness for the years ending
June 30, 1896, June 30, 1897, and June
80, 1898. l expected to find an i'm
proved condition of the county finances
for the following reasons:
First, Because both political parties
faithfully promised before the election
of 1896 great reductions of expendi-
lures in county affairs.
Second, From the fact that the tax
payers have been paying more money
into the county treasury for taxes dur
ing the last two years than had been
paid for several years before. Looking
for the county general fund warrants,
find as follows:
| Outstanding July I. 1896 Sill $40
Outstanding June 90 1897. .............. l2O,l1S
| Outstanding June 80, 1895 ............... 1209Ss
In this showing / was little disap-
pointed as expected better results.
Looking for the expenditures for the
year from July l, 1896, to June 30.
1897, and comparing these expendi-
lures with the amount of money re-
ecived during the same period, find
as follows:
Summary of warrants issued from
July l, 1896, to June 80, 1897:
General fund. ............... ke.6S2 90
| Salary fund. .... ......... ~ I764i 81
Road and Bridge fund .............. s.75i 10
Road District fund Observation-Disclosures. 5,2a5 "a
Total .-.................... ....... s3o,s7o Il
This amount of $36,370.77 is the
only item l notice rs having been ex-
pended during the year from June 80,
1896, to July l, 1897, save mislead-
ing note which says certain expenses
were paid by warrants on the general
fund and charged to the following de-
partments:
Auditors office, incidentals ............. slS IS
Sherifrs Office, mileage Observation-Disclosures. lis "
School Superntendent's Office, mileage. 1871 81
Superior Court, jurors. etc .2.6Il 81
These charges appear in the general
fund warrant statement and in the
same amount for the Superior Court,
so it is doubtful as to whether they
are to appear again in the total of
general warrants issued.
The Auditors Financial State
ment" states that taxes were paid dur
in the year from June 80, 1896, to July
l, 1897, in the sum of $S9, sos 60, with
total warrant issue during the same
time of 36,37O.77.
What was done with the balance of
the money the report does not show.
Outstanding warrants were increased
from Sill, $40 on June 30, 1896, to
$12O,l7S on July l, 1897, with the re-
port that there was on hand July l,
1897, the sum of $26, 424.39.
The report of ex-Auditor Hopkins
shows that there was money in the
treasury June 30, 1896, in the sum of
1874, 254.35. The report have before
me does not credit any money on
hand July l, 1896.
am aware that the County Treas
urer is the collector of taxes for Olym-
pia, Tumwater, all school districts and
the State for Thurston county. The
financial statement before me fails to
show any moneys paid to any of these
institutions, nor does it mention
any bond sinking fund nor bond in
terest account.
Now, Mr.. Editor, wish you to ex-
anime this statement of the finances
of Thurston county" and say in all
seriousness is it financial state
ment"? This matter of our finances
is OF interest to every taxpayer III this
county, and as have anxiously wait
ed some two years for report which
! hoped and believed would show an I'M
proved condition OF Thurston county,