The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-07
INCREASED EXPENSES
RESPONSIBLE FOR JUMP IN COUNTY
TAX RATE.
SCHOOLS AND COURTS
CHARGED WITH RUNNING UP THE
COST TO TAX PAYERS.

The Increase $1.31 Per FL 900 Instead
of S1.51 ms First Announced by the
Board-A Difference of Opinion
Between the school Board and
County Commissioners-Cos OF
the Courts Discussed by Court
officials.
Instead of the county tax rate for
1901 being an increase of s1.51 per 81, 900.
a revision of the figures furnished by
the County Commissioners shows that
the increase is $1.31 per. $1,000. The
rate for 1901 is $7.56 a thousand. That
for 1900 was $6.25.
Vice Chairman Moore of the Board
of Commissioners said yesterday that
the increase is due to the unusual APP
for educational purposes is responsible
| for "a cents of the increase, according
to the vice chairman, and the re-
naming 81 cents is charged to the
courts, and what is known as quaran-
tine expenditures. The quarantine ac-
count represents what has been paid
out in fighting smallpox in the county.
Mr.. Moore says it cost the county con-
siderable money to care for smallpox
patients, and to fight the disease. Ac-
! cording to the vice chairman, the
money was we'll spent, and the state
ment is given out that there is not
now a case of the disease in the
| county.
Mr. Moore is unable to say why the
| courts required more money this year.
1.11 4N hoy md "a mis-
sioners had to make the additional APP
| preparation. The vice chairman says
that the same thing applies to the
Board of Education. The commission
| ers made an appropriation and the
grand jury saw fit to increase it. The
county board had to follow the recon-
mendation of the grand jury. Mr..
Moore says that this is as far as the
commissioners could go in the matter.
| He is not thoroughly familiar with the
expenditures of the board and for that
reason is not in a position to criticise,
even if there is any room for criticism.
In addition to the appropriation for
1901 the commissioners figured that the
| Board of Education is due $4,000 not
! paid last year. Superintendent Ashmore
| says that this is an error, and that the
back amount now due is only $500
| Mr. Moore says that the books in the
county has not yet paid $4,000 that is
due the Board of Education. That Is
what we figured on" said the vice
| chairman, land that is what appears
| on our books. We are perfectly willing
to let the matter rest with $4,000, and
will be $500 better off by the opera
| ton
The extra $1,000 under the head of
charities went to the Day Nursery of
ha m a
| View Sanitarium. The Sanitarium is to
| receive $1,000. This helped to increase
| the budget. The additional cost of run
ming the courts is still being discussed.
| Clerk Carr of the Superior Court is out
| of the city. Judge Falligant has given
out statement, in which he says that
| the courts are run on as economical q
basis as is possible, and he knows of
no chance for retrenchment.
Judge Falligant says that the sug-
| gestion made by Mayor Myers that
court officers ascertain whether cases
| assigned for trial will come up before
| calling jurors to the court house is an
| excellent one. The Judge has been per-
| suing this course for several wears,
and has found that it has saved the
county money. Several days before
| the one on which a case is set for trial,
court officers are sent out to learn If
| the attorneys will be ready for trial.
In the event of continuance the jur-
ors are called off, and are not ordered
| to the Court House, at cost of 81
| each. The only occasions upon which
| jurors are paid for work that they do
not perform, are when cases go off at
the last minute for some good legal
| reason. The unexpected absence of
material witnesses sometimes causes
this, but invariably counsel has been
visited before the day set for trial.
| Judge Falligant says he will be too
| glad to follow any suggestion that will
| assure a reduction in the cost of rum
ming the court.
Sheriff Schwarz says that the In
| crease of criminal business may have
| something to do with the increase in
| the cost of running the Superior Court.
| The Good Government League has
| caused a very large increase in the
| criminal business, he says, and the
| trials have been attended by some ad-
| ditional costs to the county. In these
cases quite a number of jurors have
gone off for cause. Such Jurors are
| allowed 50, as if they had served. Ac-
cording to the sheriffs office this is
| probably responsible for the increase
in the expense account, that must be
| shouldered by the county. Sheriff
Schwarz says that he is unable to dis
cover any leakage.
Clerk Warning Russell knows of no
reason why the cost of maintaining the
| City Court should be more than for
merly, unless it be the increase in
civil business. Frequently it happens
that cases are assigned for trial and
that continuances are granted on le-
| gal grounds. Mr. Russell says that
whenever it is known that a case will
be passed the jurors are notified
through the newspapers. Every effort,
he says, is made by the officers to keep
the expenditures as low as possible.