The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-20
A Good Law.

Several days ago we were Informed
that what is known rs House bill NO. &c,
patron. Mr.. Ould, providing for tho pub
3lication Of accounts Of supervisors. failed
to get through the Senate. Upon further
inquiry. however, We arc pleased 10 state
that the bill did pass both branches OF
tho General Assembly has been signed
by the Governor. and is now tho law
OF the land. It liz so important tllnt wo
print It in full, and hope that Our con-
stcmpornrics throughout the State VIII
reproduce tgiE their columns. The act
amends and re.enacts certain sections OF
4 Section ST. Statement Of receipts and
expenditures to DO posted or published
Tho board Of supervisors shall cause to
be made out Immediately after each
meeting, u statement showing the aggre-
gate amount OF tho receipts ARD :tlisb.,fsiss7
the Code so as to read as, fol : Y;
t1lcnts or the six months sltex DIM 6,
and after the last amy n Ing tho
board uf5s,ipcrvisors Shall cn,isea TO- be
made out alsosin statenont showing the
aggregate amount allowed; for tho next
Succeeding year TO- Stlie officers OF tho
county ard forltincidental and necessary
expenses Of the county, in form form as
follows: j
TO tho sheriff Of the county ..........s
TO the county clerk ...,.. :,3.
10 the Commemorative attorney of
the county .......... .....,...........$
,ToFthe treasurer OF the county ......S
TO the members Of tho board Of SUI =
perVlSors
To registrars ..........................
TO the superintendent OF the pores
no Judges OF election .......,.......,..S
10 clerks Of election ..................$ t
For building bridges: B.s
(a) Name OF person to whom warrant
Is given .-..................,.....
~ Location OF bridge ................<
Co Amount paid for tho building
thereof ......... announcements
For oVcrsecrs of roads ito be named
and amount paid each stated ....$
For damages In opening roads;a
ul) Name Of landowner to whom
damages Is paid OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
10 Name OF road .................,."........
10 Amount paid for such damagcs..$
For support Of tho poor;
CAS- Names of the paupers supported 800.
! (b) Amount paid each ................,$
And an itemized statement Of incidental
! expenses Of the county, not embraced by
either Of the foregoing Items. which
statement shall be made out in tho fol-
lowing form:
Name Of person to whom warrant
is given \. 1890.
Amount Of warrant .....:........:...S
For what warrant Is given .................
A. copy of such statement shall be
posted at the front door of the court
house and ut each OF the voting places
Iii the county and published In ono or
more newspapers OF the county or adj
joining County or city.
1t shall be the duty of the judge OF the
Circuit Court at the term of the said
court next succeeding the two annual
meetings OF the board OF supervisors, to
instruct the grand jury to ascertain If
the statements herein required to be
published have been published according
to law, and IL tho grand jury shall as
certain that said statements have not
been published then indictments shall
be- found against each Of tho several
members Of the board of supcrvsors, and
on conviction they shall be deemed guilty
Of a misdemeanor, ard shall be fined not
less than ten dollars, nor moro than
ono hundred dollars.
For years wo have had a law requiring
supervisors to post these accounts at the
courthouse door and a t each voting pre-
clnct, or publish them in the county
newspaper But. generally speaking the
supervisors have done no moro than post
the accounts. and very rarely have thoy
been printed. Under this law. however,
they are required both to post tho ac-
counts and print them In one or more
newspapers of tho County or adjoining
county or city. In this way each and
every Taxpayer may have regular state
ments from the board OF supervisors
and may take them to his home and
study them at his leisure. 1t IL a good
law, and 1t will be worth to Taxpayers
and to good government far more than
the cost OF advertising. This paper has
long urged tho Legislature to enact such
Il law, ard We feel that We have per-
formed public service In aiding In It's
passage.
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