Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-06-16

seco nd clessa mail matter.
The annual June settlement Of
Sheriff Il D Gardner affords most in.
teresting matter TO which The Herald
wishes to direct the attention OF It's
readers, coming. as 1t does, at the end
sof what should be one of the most
economical years in the history of the
county. Since 1908, we have heard so
much of the very expensive smallpox
scare the bridge at Schoppert's Ford
road crushers and other extraordinary
expenses, that we are forced to won
der lust what excuse will be brought
forward this year to explain away the
Increased expenses in running our
county. The explanation that appeals
most strongly 10 Us is that a demo-
cratic court is naturally more extrava-
rant than "a republican court-and
have been in tn. experience of Berkely
county.
The democratic court took charge. of
comfy affairs in January, 1903, thus,
20 make fair comparison, we should
base il upon the last settlement before
they took charge. This settlement
was made on May 30th, 1902, and
shows that our republican court so re-.
3uc d the levy that the amount
SnaVged against Sheriff Stuckey for
county purposes was only 500, 0G7. 81.
With this amount the court succeeded
an trimmings the CONTEMPLATING all
bills promptly lin no case giving ille-
gal interest bearing orders), and at
'thejC settlement, the sheriff, after
paying all bills presented still had in
his hands a balance due the county
{ aut of the amount charged against
him as above, of -, 800 Oh, all ex-
penses being paid with S23. 16S 60.
Let us now see the results of the
1906 settlement made a few DAYS ago.
n levy for the year was made which
would produce q, 79i 98 more than
tthe law allowed, to which no ohiec-
tion was made by the taxpayers, this
increase never being submitted to a
vote of the people, and the majority
not knowing that it was made. Be.
lore making the levy the court prepar.
ed estimates of the expenditures for
size year, and had these estimates
placed upon the record, where they can
be seen by any taxpayer. Upon what
were these estimates based? Certainly
not upon the exdenditures during the
republican administration, for the
settlement of 1902 (the last year the
republicans had charged, shows it only
%guLE S23, 1853 60. while their estimate
of S34. 068 A is more than as per cent.
more than was used by that court in
1901 2 land the amount the levy would
actually reproduce. which was charged
against the sheriff, was $50, FAC. 10,
over SO per cent. (Sl3, 551. so more
than that used then, or over half
again. and all this was spent, with the
exception OF s34. IS.
The settlement shows a balance of
81, 1874. IS, but the court h already
Ordered paid (and this amount was in
cluded in the levy 81, 100 90 on
ty bonds as required by law. which
wouid leave a net balance in the
a&nds Of the sheriff for S34. rs. and I'M.
paid ordevs are now in the book
amounting to several hundred dollars
Where has the money gomez
We wish the voters of the county to
seriously consider this question. All
the foregoing facts are matters of
record and are open to inspection of
any citizen Of the county. We invite
you TO investigate this state of affairs
take nobody's word, bat go and look
% yourseIf-and decide in your own
mind whether or not the new tax laws
are being given a fair test in Berke-
lev county. And we feel sure that if
the County court would cooperate
with the the legislature, our citizens
would have a tax law Of which they
could we'll be prond. In next Novem-
Ger we have an election. at which time
TOu will be called upon to elect a
member of the County court, and we
ask you in all fairness to vote for the
man, from which ever party he may
be. who will give our tax laws a fair
TEST, and then, if they are found de.
fective, the legislature will be in a
much better position TO correct the de-
feGts than now.