Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-10-19
Lust a Word to voters.

An examination of the records OF
Phillips coun5y's expense account in
the Office of the county clerk will dis
close 8 good many hard facts of great
interest to the taxpayers who foot the
bills.
Do the people want safe, con-
servatIve and economical sdminIstra-
ton of the county's business, or do
they want one of extravaganza and
prodiRslity?
It behooves every taxpayer who is
interested in good government, econ
omically administered, to consider
we'll the public interest before cast
ing his vote this fall.
Let Us take only one item of public
expense-that of county printing:
In 1898 when the Australian ballot
system first came into use. the ballots
required for use in this county were
printed by the HERALD. The records
IN the court house show that S11 were
paid for the work. In 1895 the DIS
patch did the work. The same Off
GERS were voted for Except Judge of
the 18th judicial district, and also
the candidates for road Overseer which
were omitted), making the ticket
much smaller than that of 1898, but
the amount paid to the Dispatch for
the work was $177, or just 500 more
than the HERALD charged for the
same work
In 1894 full state and congress
ional ticket and the proposed suffrage
ame1dmant was voted for-requIrlng
q much larger ticket than before.
The HERALD printed them and was
paid 1926 for the work. At that time
the law required that the ticket be
published in two papers-one of each
party. The HERALD was paid $2l 80
and the Dispatch $25 IS for exactly
the same publication. Two years
later the Dispatch printed the tickets
and WAS paid the sum of 1854, or
more than twice what the HERALD
was paid in 1894. For publishing
the ticket in the paper the Dispatch
charged $153 so, while the HERALD
charged for precisely the same pub
llcatlon $35, or a difference of Sis
in favor of the taxpayer.
In 1897 the law was changed, great
~ reducing the size of the ballot.
Tue HERALD again WAS given the
work and printed the ballots required
for SAT SO, and in 1898 when the full
state ticket was voted for, the HERALD
printed the tickets for $500. The
policy of the HERALD has been to ask
only a reasonable compensation for
work done for the county-and not
charge two or three prices just be-
cause the work is done for the pub
lic
The records disclose a great many
other interesting differences beLween
charges made py the Dispatch and
moss made by the HERALD. For III
stance: Tor preliminary EXAMINATION
quesUlons the Dispatch charged 50,
we HERALD So; for huaI examIuaGIOn
questions the Dispatch charged $ll,
me HERALD S3 81; IUr $500 normal
institute circulars the Dispatch WAS
psIu SIS, and for lou normal CIR
culars SI2, or aG the Fats OF cents
each. Lne HERALD printed the cir
cuIals for IS .OU for 5UO au0 $3.50 tor
each aadlGlonaI SUI. Ihus saving to
the county considerable sum.
In every case the Dispatch has
charged the same Fate tor LUUU letter
ne6ds. or envelopes as IL Charged for
sou. The contract Is made for Quan-
titles OF $40. l5 Is always customary
where lUUU or 1910 Is ordered TO re-
duce the rate for the second and third
500, but the Dispatch always charged
the county the IulI $40 rate no matter
now many were ordered at once.
A greal many other items could be
mentioned, Tut the records show the
HERALD has always done the county's
work upon fair and businesslike prIn-
clples and exactly according TO con-
tract. We have never overcharged
cent, or over measured a single line
of legal work
If Mr.. King is reelected commits
sioner, in all PROBABILITY the county
printing will be continued to the
HERALD, and If Mr.. Breasted should
be elected the probabilities are that
the work would &C to the Dispatch
again at the same exhorbItant prices
that were paid IN 1895 and 1896.
Mr. King has also given evidence
of being a careful, faithful public
servant in all other matters. The
voters of the first district will do we'll
to consider their financial interests
and the best interests of the county
in casting their ballots for county
commissioner.