The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-02-23
Where Has The Money Gone !

A great portion of it has been expend-
e3 IN the erection of county bridges. In
faes the retiring board of County Com
missioners developed such penchant
for constructing county bridges that they
contracted for a number a short time be-
fore severing their official relations with
the county, and at a time when the treas
ury was empty. The Commissioners re-
port for 1887 shows that the sum of 81, ,272 60
was paid during the year for new bridges,
all but 1880 of which was paid on con-
tracts made by the former board of Com
missioners. Right here it might be well
to call attention TO the fact that the mate
rial for the county bridge just south of
Somerset, was delivered before the pres
ent board of Commissioners assumed the
duties of office, whereas il was not placed
in position for three or four months there
after. Only those who follow the mar
kets will recall whether or not there was
slump in bridge iron at tho time the
contract was entered into, but the desire
of the retiring board of Commissioners to
make all the contracts possible can not be
denied. The bridge repairs made during
1887 cost the county $S3, whereas it ap-
pears from the Commissioners report for
1896 the bridge repairs cost tho enormous
sum of s., 4S3, portion of which is still
unpaid and remains outstanding in the
shape of interest bearing orders. In 1896
the county paid for new bridges 5000 IS.
The tax payer who would intimate that
county funds were unwisely expended
for new bridges or for bridge repairs dur
ing this time, when the county was bor-
rowing money at high rate OF interest or
issuing interest bearing orders, would be
foolish, and no would be extremely fool
ish to insinuate that the Commissioners
had not acted within the limits of beg
carly economy when they expended
a sum approximating Sj.0)0 for file cases,
which could well have been done with
out, at time when it was necessary TO
borrow money at six per cent interest
and TO increase the value of all property
subject TO county taxation.
The average farmer, who after long
years OF toll aud rigid economy, acquires
a farm valued at S, 900. which is his un-
incumbered, feels that he has not lived
| in vain; but what must be his feeling
towards county officials, who by a few
strokes of the pen make the tax payers Of
the county liable for s. O9) for the purch-
as of lot OF file cases for which Their e
was no public necessity. and to pay for
which the county was compelled 10 bor-
row money.
r.f ha.r
expended by the Commissioners during
the past five or six years in other direct
ions just as unnecessary and prohigate
as those mentioned, but upon which there
is not room 10 dwell in this article.
How many tax payers in the boroughs
sni townships have paused TO think
what an increase in county valuation
means to each one individually? The
school and road tax are levied upon valu-
a.ion made by the county assessors, and
in the boroughs building, water and 9TH
er forms Of municipal taxation are based
upon the same return.
There is not tax payer in the county,
including those who are reported TO have
received rebates, who does not know that
this is correct, and who has not been ex-
ercised to know why taxation in all forms
has steadily increased during the past few
years. In some instances tax payers
have prayed for death rather than sub
NIT 10 having the result of their labor
swallowed up by the inexorable and con-
stantly increasing demands of the tax
collector.
How Mach Has Been Given to Favorites
If well founded reports from many sec
tions of the county are correct a large
portion Of the taxes assessed has been re-
turned 20 favored taxables in the shape
of rebates From the same source. it is
learned that the distribution of rebates
hes not been confined to the taxables
least able to bear their proportionate
share Of taxation, bat in a majority Of
cases they have been distributed among
the class of farmers and business men
who are abundantly able 10 pay the taxes
a. Sc sed against them In some cases it
Is even said that rebates were given with