Williams news., 1903-04-11
TAXPAYERS. READ THIS!

The NEWS has no desire to cre- ate disturbance in county affairs, but our memory is not so short that we have forgotten a few pledges made during the last political cam
 laign. At that time the topic of ,he change of the county from the third to the first class rate was un- der discussion, and, as has been stated in these columns before, va rious candidates on the democratic ticket pledged themselves. if elected, to receive Gin justice to the tax ravers) only thirdc county sal- aries It is our understanding also that the republican county plat form pledged the candidates on that ticket to receive d like com
 pensation. These pledges were all made in seeming good faith, owing to the peculiar position in which the county was placed, and 1t was understood that the third class sal aries only were to be paid. Mem bers of both political parties were elected to office, and now that the first quarter of the year has passed, it is seen how well these pledges have been kept. The county officers every one under the salary class have demanded and have been
 paid first-class salaries. In speak ing of the matter to a member of the board of supervisors, he told us that some demanded the salary, and all the rest were entitled to it as we'll as few Possibly so. and
 under the law all are entitled to these salaries, but 1t is not a ques-
 ton as to that with which we are dealing. The question is: What is mans word worth, when he pledges himself, publicly, to do a certain thing and then goes back on his pledge and sticks out his
 hand for a few more dollars? There is no redress for the tax payer. He must sit still and smile, while the men he elected to office filch the county treasury of several thousand dollars that they were pledged not to take. But, like us, he has a good memory, and two years hence will turn his back on the man who makes play for votes by pledging himself to economy
 Talking about economy brings to mind another little thing that it will do the public no harm to know After the first meeting oi the super visors, this year, the minutes were sent us for publication by the then clerk. In these minutes were writ ten the substance of two petitions praying the appointment of two different men to the office of clerk of the board of supervisors It hap pened that certain members of the board read these petitionsin full in the Flagstaff Gem, which is print +l two days before the NEWS, which had been awarded the publishing contract for this year. For some reason-ostensibly because of econ Omy, but in reality because larger percentage of heavy taxpayers had | signed the petition which had been turned down, the board did not like to see these petitions printed, and 'phone.l us to cut out that part of the minutes. We already had a part of the proceedings printed and so informed the Flagstaff members of the board. They 'phoned Mir. Martin, the member here, who called on us, and 10 whom we showed the printed portion, That part bearing the petitions was al- ready in type, and as we were ready to go to press we refused to cut it out, believing the people were entitled to know just what action the board had taken in the case. Everyone knows that one appli- cant, q republican, offered his ser- vices for nominal consideration, while the other was out for the $1 800 salary attached. For political req sons the board appointed the latter. From 9 political standpoint this