The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1911-04-20
ward COUNTY POOR farm
AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION
It Looks az Though Ward County Can
not Afford to Maintain So Expen-
sive Luxury-First Published
Statement Ct Value Of Improve
ments.

The Independent was privileged to
see a statement OF the financial con-
dition OF Ward county, prepared Dy
representatives OF Burke county TO be
used in the settlement OF the financial
affairs OF the two counties. The fig
ures are somewhat surprising, and We
might say, alarming. The statement
gave an itemized account Of the i'm
provements OF Ward county, which
included the territory embraced by
Burke and Renville counties, for
period OF year and half, being
from July /, 1909, to Jan l, 1911.
The commissioners caused to be
spent for bridges during that short
time, the sum OF $29,582.
For grades, the sum spent amount
ed to $16,87S.41. Only Sal was spent
for road machinery.
The Ward county poor farm mas
proved TO be the Jonah! We had
suspected right along that the hnan-
cial statement of this farm would not
look we'll in print. The improvements
at the poor farm during that period,
exclusive of the first cost OF the
farm, which we believe was about
$4,000, amounts to $22,351.14. This
does not include what has been paid
for groceries, nor does 1t include any
of the salaries. We believe the su-
perintendent gets $1,000 a year. 1t
does not include the cost Of seed or
feed. or clothing for the inmates. 1t
does not include the large amount the
county spenIs every year in keeping
the county charges in the hospital,
nor does it include the salary OF the
county physician, who looks after
them. The $4,000 and better, were
paid for horses, machinery, stock,
buildings, wells, etc., which may be
classed as permanent improvements.
Figure the interest on the investment,
allow for depreciation of the build
inRs, and other improv ements. and We
believe that the statement made by
farmer reader in the Independent re-
Gently, that tho county would be away
ahead by selnng the poor farm and
boarding the charges at the Leland,
was not strong enough.
The county commissioners have evil
IDENTIFY been afraid to publish q poor
farm statement of expenses.
- Let us consider what it is worth to
Ward county to maintain this poor
farm. The total valuation of the poor
farm may be said to be S3l,35l.Oo:
The interest on tbs amount at Z per
cent, to percentage the county pays
on county warrants amounts to w.
1880 a year. The superintendent
salary is $1,000 year. We don't
know for sure, as we have never been
able to see statement of the general
running expenses of the county, but
it is safe to say that it will cost about
500 month for food and clothing
for the inmates. This makes smother
$1,000 a year. Figure depreciation
of 10 per cent on the improvements
and this gives you $2,235. Add these
amounts and you have $6,S29.50, ex-
penses every year for housing, cloth
ing and feeding about dozen unfor-
tunate people. Truly Ward county Is
good to it's poor, but the county dads
are mighty hard on the taxpayers.
supposing that there are dozen pau
pers on the farm, it costs Ward county
taxpayers 1859 year to care for each
Of them You can get mighty good
board for close onto two dollars
day. OF course there may be little
stuff sold from the farm later, but we
have not pretended to give complete
amount of the expenses, which, II 1t
only be known, would run up several
hundred dollars year more. We
have not taken into account the coal
bill for the farm, the gasoline bill lor
running the electric plant, the livery
hire and cost Of the commissioners
going to and fro and divers other ex-
penses that we cannot think Of at this
time.
(Continued on Page 2-Second section)
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% your trading at the Boston store,
whore prices are always the lowest
II.