Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-11-03
wAPELLo COUNTY WARRANTS.

WAPEllO COUNTY WARRANT .
What Wapello county needs is an ad'
ministration that will stop issuing war
rants when it runs out of money.
When the board of supervisors sees
that it is running out of money, II
should instruct officials all along the
line to curtail expenses, and not pile
up thousands of dollars OF interest,"
bearing debts.
It is a terrible handicap on the
growth of this community to nave the
county finances in such condition as
they are now-in such condition tna'
no one wants county warrant at us
face value.
There are thousands of dollars rep
resented in Wapello county warrants
that are being held by men and women
who would like to have the money In
stead. Many of them need 1T, but they
cannot exchange them for their lace
value. No one will cash them eXcept
at a discount, and no merchant wants
them even at discount because ne
does not know when he can get MS
money for them. He cannot pay MS
bills to the manufacturers with Wapei'
10 county warrants.
No bank cam afford to carry large
amount of these warrants, because
there is no definite time of settlement.
When a man goes to bank to check
some money out of his deposit, ne
does not want to be paid in county
warrants that no one win cash.
Do the taxpayers of this county
land people directly or indirectly pay
taxesl want county officials to keep
pi1ing up debts higher and higher on
the county?
This is the time of year when the
county ought to have plenty OF money
the taxes have just been paid. why
ia il that there is no money in the
county treasury?
If it is bad now, what will be the
condition in three months from now!
What Is the necessity of this extrava-
gance?
A few years ago the county was al,
most out Of debt, now it owes almost
ten dollars for every man, woman ano
child in it. This is in addition to what
the cities and towns of the county owe
and the school debt. This county Is
certainly in need of business admin
istration.
IF the present rate of expenses is
kept up, then the only way the war.
rants that are now out can be cashed
is to issue bonds to take them up. That
will fasten another long time interest
bearing debt on the people. Then un'
less the officials will adopt business
methods in regard to the warrants
thev issue, we will soon be right back
where we now are.
All this keeps right on adding to the
burden of the man who owns home
and raises the price on the man who
desires to buy one. 1t also adds to the
expense of every business institution
in the county, thereby tending to hold
down wages. 1t also increases the ex'
pense of farming. This kind of bust.
ness management would bankrupt any
private institution and it will bankrupt
the county and keep investments away
The credit of this county is below par
right now. IT, Immediately after cleo
ton. there is an attempt to float bonds,
the county will have to pay high in
terest rate.
The affairs of the county certainly
need a competent business manage
ment. The majority of the board OF
supervisors of this county is democrat
ic. It certainly is the right time to
elect two republican members. They
at least, can not run us in debt any fas
ter, and they may try to hold the ex,
penses down.