The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1905-09-16
1T is CERTAINLY
HIGH TIME,
Taxpayers Are Becoming lndig-
nant Regarding the slip-shod
Manner in Which the superin-
tendents of the Poor Of Baraga
County Are Doing Business.

MARQUETTE, MICH, Sept. IL, 1905.
Mr.. GEO. G. JAcKMAN,
Editor The L'ANsE SENTINEL,
L'Anse, Mich.
DEAR SIR
In recent issue Of your
paper l notice in the report OF ex-
penditures for the poor OF your
county for June and July, three
items which to me seem startling,
viz
John A. Foster, board and care at Univer-
sitv Hospital at Ann Arbor SO 81 weeks l9S "a
Geo Burke. ditto .................. l9S 81
Minkley Artificial Limb Co., artificial leg
for Mrs. A. A Pennock ....,........... 100 90
Two men maintained at a hospital
for more than eight months at pub
ic charge -and each man in the
hospital the same number OF days to
day! And "a wooden leg at a cost
of $100.00i / think neither case has
parallel on the records of any
other county in Michigan. We're
neither of these people able to de.
fray all or part of this expense?
Do neither of these people own pro-
perty in your county? Your citizens
can answer these questions better
than but am led to believe that
at least two of them had and have
now, property in your county, and
if that is so, it is the duty of your
board of Supervisors, and your
Prosecuting Attorney to see that
these sums are recovered from the
parties, or from the officials who
wrongfully paid them out.
l make no objection to aid being
rendered the needy poor-they need
it and ought to have it, and no tax.
payer begrudges them or would de-
prive them Of all'necessary assist.
ance,-but these expenditures were
not necessary or needful, and il |
am not misinformed, were unnecess-
airy and were certainly beyond the
power OF the poor commissioner to
make. The poor fund is raised to
take care of the POOR the really
poor,-to assist not those who are
willing to take it,-but those wh o
must have it, and only so far as is
absolutely necessary.
1t would seem to me that an in
vestigation into the affairs OF
public board which spends the
public funds entrusted to its care,
as your board ofpoor commissioners
have in these cases, is in order,
and that it is the duty OF those OF
your citizens who have the best good
OF the community at heart, to make
a thorough and exhaustive examina-
tion into the receipts and expendi-
lures of this board.
These three items stand out to the
world as high-water marks in waste
full, extravagant and illegal expendi-
ture OF public funds by public SER
wants, and injure your county in
more ways than the loss OF the
money. They are crying advertise
ments to thos seeking q location for
an enterprise to give Baraga county
o wide berth. What business man
would voluntarily invest money in
an enterprise subject to taxation, in
a county whose public officials
wasted public funds.
Your county may be rich enough
to stand this sort OF thing, but the
non-residents taxpayers OF your
county, whom / represent, are not,
and your citizens owe it to them and
to themselves to have stop put to
it.
II your citizens will not for the
public good take hold Of this matter,
then it becomes the duty OF the
board of supervisors to do so, or