Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-30
THIRTEEN A LUCKY NUMBER
Thirteen Professional Agrioulturists Absorb
Bulk Of Appropriation for Fair.
DRAW PAY FOR ATTENDING MEETINGS
Only small Portion Of total Appro-
priated from Public Funds
Goes for Payment of
Premiums.

Inc OmCerS ana promoters OF the Douglas
County Agricultural society will hold the
regular monthly meeting next Saturday.
but as yet have not, they say. been able
to outline a course to pursue this year in
the matter of a fair or exhibit. Some are
for giving II up, others have proposed that
they 'lie low awhile and then spring II
suddenly and strong and one prominent
citizen whose wisdom and strategy were
appealed to advised that a committee be
appointed to visit the editor OF The Bee
and see II he can't be brought into sub
lection 1t seems a prevailing opinion
that The Bee is all that stands between the
society and the county treasury.
This opinion, however, is refuted by the
attitude of at least three Of the county COM
missioners. All five members Of the county
board voted against the solicited appropria-
ton a month ago, but Connolly and Harte
have suffered a change of heart, or ut least
Of inclination, and are said to be willing to
appropriate $500. Connolly makes the pro-
viso that the society tie UP with the
Ak-Sar-Ben for the fall festivities. but
Harte is willing to give the money for a
fair Just any old place. Chairman Hofeldt
says he won't vote a dollar for the society
under any circumstances Ostrom says he
sees no reason to change his negative vote
VI a hN'hb ECU tuu " hStue says ne luluhb
the society has already had more than it
SHOULD have had.
what Warrant Book shows.
This unfavorable opinion has been largely
induced by an examination some of the
commissioners recently made Of a bunch OF
$50 of the society's warrants, filed with the
board as required.
These warrants, drawn at various times
from October l, 1900, to November 81. 1901,
are for a total of SO, 77S.15. Of which those
for $977.69, or a trihe more than % per cent,
were made out as salary warrants to thir-
teen men who appear to have been principal
promoters as well as bene1ciaries. They
are: d. H.. Christie, J. II. Taylor, J. r.
Watts, r. w. Douglas, E. H. Walker, II. ].
Roesslg, Fred Schroeder, G. NJ. Drexel.
Charles Witte. p. Mergen. A. Kiewit, f.. C.
Erfing and Chris Steiger.
BY placing the warrants In three general
classihcations it is discovered that they
represent $1,404.25 paid as wages and sal
aries against only $733.67 paid in premiums
and $1,63s.23 for all other needs, including
decorations. supplies and the two warrants
for a total of $1,124 to the Ak-Sar-Ben
board.
For premium winners there were 161
warrants, making the premiums average
S4.57. OF these 161 warrants ffty-hve, in
Guiding most OF the larger ones, were
shown to be for only As per cent of the total
premium won. Incidentally the largest
premium payment was $35 made to one OF
the lucky thirteen who shared literally in
the salary dispensation; and incidentally,
too, 1t was not revealed that the salary
warrants represented any discounted pay
ments.
"WREes and Salaries"
The wage and salary total is represented
by 101 warrants and Of these only forty
three went to employees other than the
thirteen above mentioned. These forty
three represented $426. Sc, or an average OF
Sa.92. The remainder Of the total, or
S977.69, being divided among the thirteen,
gave them an average OF $500 for salary
alone, and exclusive OF such amount as
each may have won in premiums. They did
not share equally. but we're rewarded &C.
cording to the several duties they per-
formed. For instance, one received a war
rant for IS for receiving exhibits one day,
SIS for soliciting exhibits FIVE days, $33 for
eleven days attendance at the fair and
$3.50 for attending four meetings of the
board. The same man won 1915 in pre-
miums. making his total $685.. Another
- NHN $3.50 'NS 6ANNh "oAAohNo "
$4S.55 for services as general superin.
tendent for sixteen days prior to the open
ing OF the fair" $50 for ten days attend
ance at the fair and $14.2O for attending
four meetings Of the board. These war
rants were all drawn after September 7.
Paid for "a Lobby.
Warrants for sums varying from $40 10
500 for attendance at board meetings are
much in evidence and four at $25 each for
services on Legislative committee" be-
sides one or two smaller ones for Tex
penses" of that committee. One Of the
commissioners, when he saw these laughed
a very dry laugh and said: THAT legisla-
tive committee used this money we had
appropriated for a fair to lobby at Lin
coin against the bill intended to do away
with that law which made II mandatory
for the county board to appropriate to the
society IN a basis Of about Is cents for
each vote cast in the preceding congress
sional election"
ShampOoinR and hairdressInR DC M thu