Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-01-21
FOOD FOR
THOUGHT
A Few Figures Presented for
Taxpayers to Study
Over.
Over Eight Hundred Dollars
Involved in One
Deal.

1t is n well known fact that the
county is in bad way financially.
One short year Of incapacity to han
die public affairs has already brought
about 30 per cent increase in taxa
ton and there is no telling where it
will end. A year ago this month
when Treasurer Balster assumed OF
iice there was turned over to him
something like S5S.000, with election
bills allowed and paid. BY the state
ment published few days ago there
is only about $4,000 on hand. with
election bills unpaid at the time. in
addition to several thousand dollars
allowed for last year To pay these
bills the 1900 taxes were anticipated
and the treasurer consented to anoth-
er overdraft. leaving him with mighty
little currency on hand or in bank.
This Is the condition confronting the
taxpayers of La Plata county. and had
the treasurer lived up to the letter OF
the law, the county would be on
warrant basis today. In the face
of this the commissioners took 1t
upon themselves the other day to ig-
more the law and leave the printing
in the hands of the chairman to be
dealt out to a political organ at com
mercial rates" whatever these may
be. the chairman being sole Judge.
1t will be remembered that all
bids were rejected. therefore the bid
of The Democrat does not count. IL be-
ing left to the chairman to pay an in
creased rate over the bid of the above
paper. going to the full limit of the
law but to show the taxpayers the
saving to the county during the pres
ent year. when there is depleted
treasury. we give a statement. had
The Herald bid been accepted, as com
pared with The Herald bid. the fig-
ures being made up and based on the
amount of printing required by the
county during the past year:
Cost Under Herald Bid.
Election ballots and supplies. s 1000
Letter heads. envelopes and
other stationery ...... 1000
Postal cards. 80. .., 3l50
Legal notices, reading notices
including treasurer's and
clerks statement. tax list,
etc ......-..-..-... 1000
Total cost. s131 80
Cost Upder Democrat Bio.
Election ballots and supplies sl50.OD
Letter heads. envelopes and
No.
Postal cards. ...... 49,. 1900
Legal notices, reading notices
including treasurer's and
clerks statements. tax
list, etc. .............. $500
Total cost ..........s9 s967 90
Thus 1t will be observed that had
the commissioners accepted The Her
aid bid the total cost of printing for
the year would not exceed ONE HUN
DRED AND THIRTYTWO DOL
LARS. while under the manner it Is
being dealt out by the chairman and
in accordance with the bid of the
Democrat the county will pay NINE
HUNDRED AND SIXTY SEVEN
DOLLARS, a direct, present to the
Democrat from the taxpayers OF over
EIGHT uNDRED DOLLARS.
AS before stated. the above figures
are based on the amount OF printing
required last year, and will rot vary
but q few dollars one way or the 9TH
er. Should the county require more
printing the coming year than last.
the cost will be Increased proportion
ately. and If less. reduced at the same
ratio. but it is fair to assume that tho
average Of last year Is a fair basis to
estimate from.
Is there a taxpayer in the county
who thinks for a moment the Law
contemplates that the commissioners
shall squander their money in this
| manner? And do they wonder that
| suit has been commenced asking the
| courts to compel them to be decent
The law does not contemplate that
political newspapers shall be taken
| care OF by the commissioners at the ex
pense OF the taxpayers any more than
political workers. On the same the
ory. the commissioners should
award coal and all other contracts
and thus form a close political com
| hine. And there Is no use denyina
the fact that the commissioners have
lost caste with the public. The feel
ing has gone abroad that If the com
missioners win thus disregard law
and official obligations to the pub
lie, they WIN enter into any kind OF d
deal and that the county is in a hard
row OF stumps for the coming tive
years at least.
In this connection The Herald print.
another article printed in The Wag,
Garner this week from the pen OF o
s. Galbreath, who is perfectly famil
lar with the law and the duty of tn.
commissioners. and this opinion OF Mr.
Galbreath is certainly unprejudice e,
as he is In no wise loser or benefi