The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-12-29

| likely have been no suits. Tn adj
dltlon to this the people from
the town of WashburG feel to
that If the settlement had been gone
at IN any buSinesslike wav it
likely would have been accomplished
before this, whereas under the
method Of procedure of the Wash.
burn town board there is ap, to be
litigation for some years to come.
1t IS absolutely ridiculous for the
town board of Washburn to tell
their people that there is any dispo-
sitlon anywhere in the city of Wash
burn, among the private citizens or
The officials. to take one honest dol
lar that rightfully belongs TO the
town, and OF this the meeting seemed
convinced. A few OF the things
that the taxpayers OF the town of
| Washburn have to complain OF is
| their excessive assessments. ex-
cessive expenditure of money by the
town board, the sale of dynamite by
chairman Rowe to the town, the en-
blowing of George Mcdonald, an
Ashland attorney to commence aud
prosecute useless law suits; the en-
ployment Of Mcdonald and other
high priced men to investigate The
| financa, affairs and conaitisas Of TIE
old town of Was nburn, when such
work should be done by accountants,
aud which work could be done in
this way at saving of LARGE
am 'untss OF money to the town; the
payment of about 800 to Mr.. Nc
Donald for legal services, the most
of which IS for the case of the
town of Washburn against the Nve-
jerks elevator for taxes amounting
TO little over 81, 000-the sum co,
lected by Mcdonald on that case
being excessive for the reason that
the case was considered bad one by
the old town, with little prospect of
making the collection, and for the
further reason that the case has not
yet been tried, and should it be
tried a. the rate Mcdonald is charg
ing there will be nothing left for the
town treasurer after Mcdonald is
paid-even ia case the town should
be successful, which does not seem
likely. The people complain that
Mcdonald was hired for 5000 year,
that already he has drawn nearly
four times that amount; that he has
texed costs in the town cases
amounting to about $3.50; that he is
evidently planning to draw large
amount of money from the town
through his control of the town
board, which seems to be absolute;
that he carted all the officials of the
town into the city OF Washburn time
and again at a big expense without
any reason for their doing so, ex.
cept to demonstrate to them that he
was busy; that instead of employing
competent accountan to check the
public records 1T nominal cost that
he is doing this work himself, evil
IDENTIFY intending to charge exces-
sive fees for the same, and that when
such work is done his accounting
will not be accepted for the reason
that he has made errors. One Of
these was discovered by book
keeper, being for 81, 600. That Ole
RoWe's son Herman should draw
ever 500 for road work-a larger
amount than any other person, is
also creating criticism. and it is said
the young mans bills are plenty
hlghsenough for the work he has
done. The town of Washburn,
made up OF intelligent farmers and
men with determination to make
the best Of conditions they have
found. voted taxes last spring for all
purposes, amounting to ST., 400.
This they knew to be sufficient for
the needs of the town to answer all
purposes and that was what they
expected to pay in their tax collec-