Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-03

iot VI loSlo VI uiotOi dHu law WHICH
no one disputes, but which at the same
time is not the sort of explanation the
people are desiring now
Needs an Investigation.
"Other expenses" is the heading of
paragraph in which are mentioned
bridge building, relief to INDECENT SOL
diers, and bounties on crows, crows
eggs, and the like But the county long
since has shut down on the bridge
building, and likewise on the bounties.
Perhaps the tax system is not right
Perhaps the county does not raise suf-
ficient revenues.
But how can the public judge the
conditions. There are a few matters
that are SO obviously wrong with the
county's financial system that an in
yestigation of the whole business
would be welcomed.
A Few Instances.
few instances might be cited, and
the question might be asked whether
1t was flaw in the law or incom-
potency which brought about the con-
dition last year when in the city of
Rock Island the county spent in the
collection of personal tax not paid di-
rect as was the case in one or two
instances, practically every cent which
was yielded to the county by that tax
amounting to something like $780,
Why was clerk paid $3.50 for
three days work in one of the county
offices? The pay roll was first signed
for full months pay, SOS, but this
was reduced to $17.50-for less than
a weeks work
Possibly the county official on whose
expense account they appear has use
for all of the stamps and long distance
telephone calls that the county pays
for in the discharge of his duties, but
who knows? The items appear in no
tsmall amount for stamps at a time
when there is practically nothing be-
ing mailed from this Office in an official
manner. Perhaps the items are prop
er, but who Knows?
Why is it that all public printing
is done at Bloomington, and the coun-
ty pays good sized express charges on
| the material purchased there? The
express bill certainly would more than
pay the differcnce-if there is any
in the charges for the work itself in
| Bloomington and Rock Island. The
Argus does no job work, so it is not
prompted by business motives in pub
fishing this query.
And why is it that when the county
tax receipts are ordered printed some
thousands more blanks than are re-
quired are ordered. There are two
| boxes half filled with these blanks now
standing in the county building, and
one of them, with something like 1000
unused forms, was on hand when the
last supply was ordered Still the
order was much greater than was re-
quired, the old blanks were not re-
dated and used as they might have
been-and the county paid the bills
I, for the printing and the Nbig express
charges not only on the blanks acth
lafly needed, but on large number
that have not been used yet and are
not likely to be for some time
Why, if the county needs the mon
ey, was an outstanding claim that fell
due allowed to accumulate SIS addi
tional interest when the county had
on deposit in the Moline banks more
than enough money to pay the whole
sum and cut off the growing interest
what is Indicated.
4 Thncn
The Argus as being sufficient to &C
count for all of the enormous sum:
that have passed from the county
But what do they Indicate? Suppose
that these little instances were multi
piled again and again. not only in one
office, but in all, and that such thing.
went on for number of years. TIL,
sums would not be Insignificant, il
that case.
What the people want is to know
just what the relation of the tax sys
tenn and the relation of extravagan
and careless expenditures is to tn,
present bankrupt condition of tn
county
| And, Notwithstanding the long an,
ponderous effort to explain the situa
ton, the question, why is the count
broker is still unanswered to the sal
isfaction OF the people of the county.
In defense of the present situation
: II Is announced, ''The clamor that fh
condition of the county is thus on az
, count of any irregularity is insanity.
And again, "As a matter of fact thes
expenditures have been enforced b
statutes which provide no increase G
! revenue while providing increased e,
{ lpense.''
In defense it is also pointed out q
( great length that the election cost |