Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1911-03-30
Local Option Figures

The Sentinel readers are entitled
to correct figures on the local option
question
The figures given herewith have
been carefully and accurately compil-
ed by the Sentinel for its readers.
Our sole object has been to get the
figures as nearly correct as possible
We have received many sugges-
tions and personal assistance from
the county officials who have charge
OF the records.
These figures are correct To the
best of our knowledge and belief, and
they have been compiled for the
sole purpose of giving our readers
the correct figures. The county rec
ords fail to produce one scintIln of
evidence that local option has cost
Ionia county one cent i'm increased
county expenses and they 40 prove
conclusiyely that this county is bet
ter of today than IL was for many
years when license money was pour
ing into the county treasury at the
rate of about 5000 year.
The Sentinel as positively states
that the figures produced by the
vets are erroneous and will not be
substantiated by the county records.
These figures not only can be yeri-
fed by the county records, but they
have been verified.
Prisoners sent to Detroit.
July l 1907 to May l, 1909, vet
% months, 30.
Drunks and disorderlies, IL.
May l, 1909 to March II, 1911,
22 months dry, %.
Drunks and disorderlies =.
A word OF explanation regarding
the sheriff's fees will make it clear
to every voter how the attempt has
been made to impose On them by the
vets. These figures were deliDer-
ate attempt to deceive the voters.
The sheriff's fees allowed at the
October, 1909, session OF the super
visors covered period of nine
months four IF which January. Feb
ruaIy, March and April were wet.
The fees for those four wet months
have been charged up against the
dry period and they amounted 10
about $1,000.
OF course to make the period OF
time even four months must be de-
Quoted from the wet period. BY
leaving out the bills allowed at the
October, 1907 session it deducts the
expenses for five months, or over
$4,000. Therefore $4,000 is de-
Quoted from the front end of the
wet period and $4,000 added to the
latter end. But the So, 400 that is
added to the wet period must be
taken from the figures charged
against the dry period. A clean
gain of that amount. Do you see
where the wet figures leak? dc
YOU see where they have tried to
Oh. fIax Il Oh a
clean So, 400 which was incurred
when the county was wet?
How do you like that kind OF
representations and how are you;
going to answer them at the polls
And they did the same thing with
the justice court fees.
Sheriff's fees.
Oct / 1907, to May /, 1909, Is
months, wet, 12,21S.33.
May, 1909, to Jan. /, 1911, q
months, dry, 13,920.17. This per
iod contains over 81, 900 expense il
the Walker murder case and is moi
due to an increase in drunkenness.
These figures are certified to by
County Clerk Fred M. Cook.
Circuit court fund.
The county appropriated in 1907
1908, wet, $4,000.
The county appropriated in 1909
1910 dry, $4,000.
In 1909 there were $3.50 days o
jury fees paid for circuit court, tn,
lowest in 10 years. In 1910 Their,
were 1174.4 days, the lowest will
two exceptions, one of them 1909, il
13 years.
In 1909 and 1910 circuit cour
jurors received SO a day. Previous
to 1908 they received but 50 a day
And yet the cost of the jury in 1911
and 1909 was the lowest in actua
cash in 13 years with but two excep
tons and those two exceptions wer
paid at 50 day, or only two-third
as much for the same amount of jur
work.
With the expenses Of prosecution
less in 1909 than in the previous we
years the amount of money turne,
into the county school library fun,
from justice court fines was NOR
than twice as much as the averag
amount for the 10 preceding years
being nearly 5000. In 1910 tn
amount turned in in fines was YER
nearly twice as much as the averag
amount turned in for the 13 we
years preceding 1909.
The expenses of the justice court
for the past two years have been tn
lowest and show a smaller amount o
business done of any years in tn
past thirteen with one exception.
Supervisor Covert, of the thir
war, truant officer of the city @
Ionia, gives out the following inter
esting figures relating to the exper
ditures for shoes, clothing and 9th
er necessaries for poor children al