Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-10-29
THINKS STATEMENTS WRONG
DIR. Porter Says He Was Mistaken in
County House Matter

EDIToR CENSOR: Last March, IN an article in
your paper on county board work and expenses
used the sentence typewriter for district atsor-
uey who may not stay-an appropriation illegally
made. q hired man six months aud $500 increase
on salary without having given the matter the
usual consideration" And again. There have
been $500. Appropriated for permanent inn
provements ct the county farm in three years.
and the taLS besides costing with extra session.
SlO4l. Evidently the county poor budget is larg-
eT than ten year ago, when we had similar pop
ulatiOn-v
Mr. POWELL soon after. told me he felt those
sentences in my letter bad created wrong inn
preston among people who knew but little about
his work AT the county farm, and wished me TO
visit the county farm and see the work done and
compare the records with those Of the same num-
Der of years prior to his selection to the Office of
poor Commissioner. promised to go. but very
few pleasant hours ic this busy home. which is so
different from the county house of long ago. when
nrst visited 1t. / saw the inmates at dinner and
the food was plentiful and good. First will say
that have never thought Mr.. POWELL was paid
too high salary l felt that he must pay out
nearly a thousand dollars of his salary for help.
was told the resolution giving him extra pay
was rushed through without suspension Of rules
or without laying 1T before the ways and means
committee. That was the objection and not the
S5OO raise MIR. Powell shows that in 1912 on a
s.. 900 salary he paid for help and bond sos. In
addition. If mistake not. he paid his fare and
hotel bills when on official business. This year he
has paid for help to Oct. /. Sl02i. and has 81 .476
of his salary left. He expects to have l.400 of
his salary at the end OF me year except that out
of that comes about S6 for railroad and hotel bills
while on county business. But this u. 400 is two
salaries The splendid woman who is wearing
out her life in this work. who rises when occasion
calls to dress the hideous sores of the slowly dying
inmate. surely earns $500 year. She is the Job
night and day and does work that no help will do
In this -four years service their salary has aver
aged 81 SO. In 1907 Mr.. Glenn received $500 and
Mr. Weleh. oyerseer. for self wife and hired help.
received $1,000. l give comparative tables for
four years of Fowells regime and Tor preceding
four years, as given me BY Mr.. POWELL. from coun-
ty board records. Comparisons odious. but
sometimes amusing and instructive.
Mr.. POWELL finds the total expenses of the poor
commissioners Office for 1904 1905. 1896 ard 1907
TO be s2l. $50. Daring the years of his incumben-
cy. 1909. 1910, 1911 and 1912. the total expenses
were S29. $50. about s204i. yearly. greater than
during the four years previously stated. What
has Powell to offset this yearly sum of S204i
greater yearly expense? This s29.s20 represents
everything spent for the poor farm and poor of
the entire county in those years. In four years
he has 81 075 more stock than he started with. In
additional cash sales from the farm he has s. 900
more than his predecessor for four years. This
is total Of 50 1885, What else has he to show?
Permanent improvements during these four years
&.4OV. In 1904 were made inrpermanent improve
ments for 500. In 1906 g and 2 there hone.
Then there lot Of additional expenses such
as medical services range fertilizer. gas engines,
windmill, plumbing, manure spreader, ensilage
cutter. painting, etc not included in permanent
Improvements, amounting to over 81, 20. These
snms added amount to over s. .66l or over S2,4OO.
yearly. So i Powell has spehs s@04l more than
-%scE
yearly TO show for II. vouchers for that amount
The garden products for I904-5-6 and 1907 were
inv0iced at 1920 In Fowelrs four years they
were invoeed Si2.7l2 These are not sold but
used on the farm Mr.. Powell has expended SIPS
in fertilizer He is up-to date and uses rock phos
phate in the manure. thus adding one-half to its
value. He has spent 500 for nursery stock. ana
we had apples from the young orchard He has
spent over 500 for beds and bedding. The har-
nesses are new. The manure spreader is under
cover. He has sold from the farm since November
1911 and 1912, si.69s worth, and thinks the sales
will reach sl.S00 far the year, That is a good
showing. Ny gross sales from Hardscrabbe farm
were never quite twice that sum on the same size
farm and did not have the poor Of a county to
feed out of It.
believe these two faithful servants Of the
county stick pretty close TO their job. We have
had in the past officials drawing five six dollars
day who were VIGOROUSLY away from their jobs,
and seldom could be found at their offices when
wanted. We have paid thousands of dollars for
that kind of work without murmur. But Fow-
ell has no such record. and If he had it would be
no ones business provided he run the farm and
county business WELL for he is hired for that and
can do it by proxy IL he wishes to-
After writing what did in March, | very
glad TO publish the above. for know many have
entertained wrong ideas regarding MIR. Fowell's
salary and business at the county farm.
October q. 1918. c. V. PORTER.