The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-01
Money Matters All
0. K. In Deer Lodge

Deer Lodge county was in fair finan-
cial condition when the panic of 1898
came on. There was enough money in
the treasury to take up one third of
the total Indebtedness of the COUNTY,
which then consisted of a bonded debt
of S15O,00O. This loan was contracted
to wipe out the floating debt of war
rants outstanding and a former and
smaller issue of bonds which paid for
the old court house at Deer Lodge The
commissioners considered it advisable
to retain the cash on hand rather than
to pay any portion of the bonded debt,
as by so doing the tax levy of the panic
year could be made a very. light bur-
den on the taxpayers. In fixing the
levy of 1898, however, their benevolent
ideas We're carried too far, but 1 mill
being levied for the general fund of
the county. That meant that some
thing less than $4,000 was collected in
1898 for the main fund of the county
the fund out of which are paid all court
expenses, the expenses of the sherffs
office, the bills for printing, the expense
of elections, etc. In that year and the
following great deal of road building
was done. The Royal road was con-
structed, royal enough in the expendi-
ture of money 1t proved, and anything
but royal in the benefits accruing to
the county.
There was an Indebtedness Of about
100000 in warrants and interest against
the road fund when the new code went
into effect sub-dividing the county into
road districts and starting off each dis
trict with a clear account. This left
no alternative to the commissioners but
to draw on the general fund of the
county to pay off the old road fund
debt, and threw the general fund fur
Their behind than ever The removal of
the county seat occasioned other extra
ordinary expenses, and was followed by
the bond election and the purchase of
lots for the site of the new court house
Yet despite these adverse circumstances
there is steady gain on the floating
debt of the county. Warrants have
been called in to July /. 1898, with a
possibility Of early in January taking
up all warrants issued prior to Dec 1,
1898. This would represent gain of
six months on registered warrants over
last year.
The increasing valuation of the coun-
ty and the decreasing proportionate
expense of the court since the county
seat removal, with the cutting off of
rental for offices when the new court
house is completed, the probability that
but little road building remains to be
done, and that no extraordinary eX-
penses will be incurred, all these give
ground for the belief that in another
year the county will be in position to
pay all warrants as they are issued
and that in two years from now, even
with reduced tax levy from that of
1898, sinking fund for the redemption
of the bonded debt may be started.
When you examine into it, though,
you will find that. considering the ex-
penses which must be met by the coun-
ty, its levy is not at all high. Look at
your tax receipt and See how the mon
ey paid into the county treasury is di-
vided between the state. the county,
the city and the schools For county
purposes the levy was in 1898, 91a mills,
less by half mill than the city of An
aconda's levy, and exactly the same as
the people of Anaconda paid for the
maintenance of their schools. The era
of building school houses, of improve
ment of streets in the city and building |
of roads in the county seems to be al
most over for this community, and |
hereafter the cost of city, school dis
trict and county will be reduced to the |
running expenses, and all extraordinary
expenses be a thing of the past.
d. F. sHALLAHAN,
Treasurer Deer Lodge County
Anaconda, Dec. 81, 1898