The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-05-19
FRIDAY. MAY 10, 1899.
POLICY OF HUMBUG,

The Freeholders have stirred up a
hornets nest about their ears by the pro-
posal to withdraw the printing of the
quarterly reports from the county news
papers, and substituting a pamphlet on
the pretence of economy.
Nobody seems to believe that a Board
which has voted an increased appropria
ton for Freeholders and Officers cares a
copper about economy, the more especial
ly as the appropriation for advertising
and printing is the same as last year.
This engenders suspicion that part
of that appropriation is to be spent for
something else and that secrecy and not
economy is aimed at. tits just possible
that If they persist in their scheme they
may kill the goose that lays the golden
eggs The public are always impatient
of the cum bersome and antiquated ma
chine known as the Board of Chosen
Freeholders, and such tactics as those
introduced by the Committee on Print
ing will create strong demand for a
county commission
We commend the attention of the
public to a communication on this sub
ject published in another column and
which is only one of many on file in the
CHRONICLE Office, as well as to the edi-
torial opinions given below
The Board of Chosen Freeholders at its
meeting last Wednesday adopted a reso-
luton that the quarterly reports of the
County Collector be published in pamph-
let form instead of in the newspapers as
heretofore. They give economy (O as
their reason for doing this and yet they
leave the appropriation for advertising
and printing the same as it was last year,
$4,000 We do not know why they do
this. If they think it will cost as much
to print the reports in pamphlet form as
it did in fourteen newspapers, then there
is no economy in the change, and certain
}, ly they will not be as widely circulated.
If they can get it done for less in
pamphlet form and transfer the differ
ence from the appropriation to that of
Freeholders and Officers, then there is no
economy as far as the PUBLIC is concerned
--DoCer IndeT.
In the report Of the proceedings Of the
board in another column will be found a
resolution providing for the publication
of the quarterly report in pamphlet form,
instead of in the newspapers of the county
as heretofore. The Era would be more
: inclined to believe that this new depar-
ture is in the interest of economy if the
appropriation in the budget for advertis-
and printing were not the same as it was
last year. Inasmuch as SO 500 has been
appropriated for advertising and print
ing the suspicion is not far fetched it is
the intention to use the money saved on
printing to exc out other appropriations,
the +. d .. appropriation quite likely.
The foregoing is not to be taken as a
reflection on Freeholder Carter, who is
chairman of the Committee on Printing
and Advertising. We know him to be
above petty trickery. Iron Era.
Commenting on the recent decision of
the Boo. /. o. - .1leeholders to discontinue
the publication of the County Collectors
report in the newspapers the Her
aid kof Newton says: lit was decided
to print the statement of the County
Collector in pamphlet form, which is a
step to the backward and one that is
open to not only just but severe criticism.
We shall look upon it as personal loss,
not to have the pleasure of quarterly
examining the receipts and disburse'
ments of Morris, and comparing them
with our own county