Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-10-13
COUNTY CAN NOW PAY CASH
Improved Financial Condition Enables
Warrants to Be Redeemed.
OLD DEFICIT IS ENTIRELY PAID orr
Republicans Point 20 Fiscal Anairs
a. Evidence of Economy in
Conduct of County
Business.

l.
| For the first time in many years it will
be unnecessary for Douglas county to reg
| lister general fund warrants this tall The
condition of county finances, according to
! an announcement MADE oy County Treas
| urer Fink Friday. is such that all OF the
| warrants allowed by the county board
| from now on can be taken care OF out OF
county funds. This will mean Il big saw
| ing TO the taxpayers. as several thousands
| of dollars year in interest on regis
| tered warrants has heretofore been paid.
! Republicans are pointing with consid-
| cradle pride to the fact that since the
| county AFFAIRS passed into the hands of
! republican commissioners and a republic
| can treasurer registered warranls to the
! amount of over s215,000. left over from
J the former administration, nave been paid
| without the issuance of bonds ind tho
county put on practically a cash basis,
with prospects that hereafter all bills
can be paid as fast as claims are filed
This not only enables the county to buy
goods cheaper but it also saves the inter-
est on registered warrants.
bad Conditions In 1904
In 1898, when Mr. Fink entered the
treasurer's office the county board ny Oc-
tober had exhausted the 50 per cent Of
We're allowed to draw and were forced to
! register S215,sS6.4S Of general fund war
rants BY October. 1905. the amount of
registered warrants had been reduced to
$171S5242 and this year the condition
of county finances has improved so that
not only will no warrants be registered,
but only 81 per cent of the So per cent of
the general fund levy has been drawn
against. County Treasurer Fink has in
vested $4,000, the balance in the sinking
fund, in general fund warrants, saving
the county the interest
Mr.. Fink's ascribes this change in the
! county's condition to three things: First
greater economy and scrutiny Of bills by
the county board; second. increased per-
sonal tax collections, and, third, the in
creased revenues due to the scavenger tax
law.
Mr.. Fink takes considerable pride in the
/ fact that in the last two years he has col
lected % per cent of the personal taxes of
the county. This is record that has never
been equalled before. The collections for
the city have not been as large. amounting
in 1906 to 81. % per cent, in 1905 to 80 As per
cent. 1904 to 9217 per cent and 1903 to r. II
per cent. The low collections for 1908 are
due to the fact the railroad terminals were
assessed by the city and the taxes are still
held up in court suits
Interest on Bank Deposits.
Another source OF increased revenue for
the county is the interest on current funds
| deposited in banks. County Treasurer
Fink has turned in for the first three quar-
ters of the year 1906 s41S1. "a, while for the
four years his predecessor was in Office
the interest turned in amounted to only
sl,7S2. 40. In 1904 1t amounted to 49, 500 92 and
in 1905 to 49, This year it is estimated
it will run up to over 5000 The increase
is due in part to the fact the county now
has more funds drawing interest than it
had in previous years.
1t is reported that democratic politicians
are using as campaign argument in the
fight against Commissioner Kennard the
fact that the board transferred money from
the bridge and road rund to the general
fund. The republicans meet this argument
by declaring 1t was done to pay up a deficit
In the general fund inherited from the
democratic administration and point to the
improved financial condition of the county
as evidence of the economy of the repub-
hcan administration of affairs.