Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-03-30
REDUCTION IN SHERIFF.. FORCE.
commissioner siayton submits Ills Views ON
This Subject.

EDITOR ARGUs:-I desire a few lines
In your paper to explain the reason
for the reduction of the sheriff's force
which action was taken at the last
meeting of the board and which does
not appear to be understood In some
quarters.
To begin with / believe that the
only way to manage county affairs
is the same as In individual business
keep your credit good-and to get
and keep all the funds of the county
on a cash basis, which either requires
an increase of taxation OF the econo-
MIXING of expenses. The former
should never be considered so long as
there is a chance to accomplish the
latter without detriment to the ser
vice. And here Is the question to be
considered. Can three men perform
all the duties of the sheritf's Office.
am led to believe they can, after
an investigation in the counties of
Yellowstone and Mesgher. which,
believe, are both sixth class counties,
hhC poLhO aS 6ubs III -hCak uCh
county the under sheriff acts as
iailor and the sheriff has no other
assistance whatever. In Yellow
stone the sheriff is allowed an under
sheriff and iailor, but the latter is In
no sense an officer, and acts as jani-
tor also and is paid only $50 per
month. 1t will be seen that SO far as
the active duties of the Offices are
concerned two men i'm each county
perform them and II is my opinion
that one extra man in Fergus county
fully compensates for the greater ex-
tent of our territory, a large portion
of which is SO sparsely settled as to
scarce require the visit of an officer
once a year.
OF course, no one can blame the
sheriff for using all the deputies the
board will allow and q former sher-
iff got very wrathy because his
force was reduced. He was a Demo-
crat, OF course, and the most extrav-
agant official this county ever had.
From Republican officials we expect
ocltcI CouIbCs db a uiCt lhCJ
are intelligent and patriotic enough
to realize that she serves his party
best who serves his country best"
1t might be well enough In this
connection to mention that either OF
the counties referred to above have
a bonded indebtedness very much
in excess of Fergus county's, Yellow
stones amounting to $50, 500 and
Meagher's to $1sS,OOO, as against
$l03,OO for Fergus. The above
figures do not include school bonds,
which are, Of course a matter OF
school districts and are about the
same in each county. Meagher has
a large fund In her treasury which
could be applied to paying part OF
her bonded debt but there is none Of
it yet due, and the Yellowstone COM
missioners at their last session trans
ferred $1,000 to the road fund and
put 1t on a par basis, a step that our
board could not take without prob
ably bankrupting some other fund.
1t is probably far within the mark to
say that Fergus county has more
miles Of public road than both OF the
above named counties and under any
system they will always be an ex
! pensive proposition.
This being a county of magnificent
: distances makes the court expenses
: much heavier than In smaller coun
ties, all Of which goes to show th'
necessity for economy wherever pos
q sible. DAN. w. SLAYToN-