The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1903-09-01
The Council.

While the "Old Council" through its
| official organ is stating the reasons
why ''tax-payers" should support them
| for reelection the following strictly
"business' reasons must not be over
looked. When this regime took con-
troll, firm which stands at the head of
the Paris bar, was acting as City Attor-
neys at salary of $3.50 per year. The
place was wanted for friends of the
Administration, and was given to a
firm of young lawyers at $500 per year
just double the salary of the other firm
the tax PAYERS footed the bill.
Shortly afterwards the back tax liti-
CATION against the banks came on. If
the old firm had been retained at $3.50
a year instead of the new one at $500 a
year, the new council could not have
thought it necessary to employ addi-
tional counsel to take charge of the
litigation. But whether they thought
the new firm not competent to manage
a simple litigation where only questions
of law were involved, or whether they
only wanted to give some of the money
of the taxpayer to friend" of the
Administration" tin other places call
ed "rings'O to take charge of this liti-
cation at fee If $1,000. This shows
excellent business management so far,
and ought to recommend the Old Coun-
Gil to the -payers-five hundred dol
lars salary per year instead of $3.50 and
81 800 for "help" for the new lawyers
when no one could have thought it nee
essary to employ "help" for the old
firm.
This same member of the Council who
was employed to ''help" the City Attor-
neys had been previously appointed on a
committee to compile bylaws for the
city. No Councilman is entitled to COM
pensation for any service rendered as
such, but the Administration" GAVE
him 5000 of the taxpayers money for
his services on this committee, and of
course the taxpayers wept tears of joy
when asked to foot the bill.
The City Collector is entitled to
commission-21a per cent. we believe-oN
THE MONEY WHICH HE ACTUALLY COL
LECTs. He is not entitled to any COM
mission or compensation of any kind on
any money which he does not collect.
Bear that in mind.
Well, when the Bank suits were final
ly settled. the banks paid large sum of
Notwithstanding like $50, 1000. more or
less 1t was paid by them to the
81, 5C0-attorney, and was turned over by
him into the City Treasury. The City
Collector HI no part whatever in maxi
ing this collection. 1t didn't even pass
through his hands. but was paid into
the City Treasury by the $I,500-attor-
ney. The Collector was entitled to no
pensation for collecting this money,
because he didn't collect it, and because
another man was paid for collecting it
and yet this business" this progress
i've" Council paid the Collector his reg
ular commission on all this money.
This was nothing more or less than a
gift of about 81, 800 of the peoples
moneY-and the taxpayers footed the
bill again. joyously thankinggGo God for
the privilege.
Sometime ago member of one of the
committees of the Council informed The
BOURBON NEWS and Kentuckian -Citi.-
zen-that the city printing would be let
next meeting of the Council and asked
us to send in bids on it, which we did.
At the proper time the committeeman
arose and said that he had some bids on
the city printing which he wished to
present. The Administration Leader"
sprang to his feet with the statement
that it was not necessary to examine
the bids and moved that the printing
be given to the Paris Democrat, and this
was done and our bids were not even
allowed to be opened, and the city print
Ing COsI tuo udA-pd90Is VI Idr1S mere
than double what it would if the bid of
THE NEWS had been accepted And the
taxpayers foot the bills.
The average citizen dearly loves to
pay tax and as the Old Council can find
lots of places to put the tax money
where it will do the most good flor
themselves). of course the taxpayers
are almost unit for The Old Council. 4"