The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-05-01
REDUCING THE TAXES
Chapter TsVenty-three

When things wrong from center circumference is
useless adjust them stroke that stroke only goes
skin deep And when all the members of the body polite are
wrong in degree it useless try right matters by ccng
the officials who pass upon and allow the bills If three fourhs
of the people furnishing goods and for the county govern
honest and deal honestly and the others grater
follows that the board passing upon the bills allows about
everything the gafers will have all the business and the
honest dealers and workers will be losing This will force
them the grating game force them of business far
the county concerned and the result respects
among grae The only alternative is stop the grating. In
order show just what and how the principle operates
we cite examples.
| Had TO be Shopvn the Printing Graft
When the county ready make their
printing January 1914 they decided let the pub
caton of all notices the paper that should bid the lowest and
there merry newspaper the county sea amounting
struggle for the bidding the lowest
known The manager of of the papers told the board that
their wouldn't amount anything after they made it,
they had played the the before and dsregarded
the after made and paid twice much to the
who had the cheek file bills for much the contract
called Challenged prove this he showed them
the bills they had allowed but the board and made very
strong contract the lowest bidder and the April meeting
amned and approved the publishers bill for $42 more than ne
was entitled $7o4 worth of items The other publisher
was and stopped the charges the bill
The losing publisher complained of being wronged but he was
referred to his bid and his If the bills filed accord
ing the meeting JULY will be the hrst time
has happened for year. The point here s that the commits
sone leave everything the filing his claim, when comes
to the vital moment-he Of paying the money The
don't printing! Dill Wnen tney sec
it, Ind it easier to just pay the bill than to do studying
ordinary reader not know correct
drug BILL but there ways he could find out within less than
Il 90 per of true values or contract prices.
i Usual Bids not Required
During the year the board bought eight thousand dollars
worth of goods and including salaries anything for
roads and bridges and did about $1,000 in repairs the court
+ house that not done under competitive bids
! County Loses Large Percentage
Our examination and study of the way the business OF the
to county interests the various lines from per cent down.
and that board exercised good business Judgment they could
that would be somewhere between hfteen ana
thirty per cent
Il Gould Steal the County Blind
The greatest expense bills for roads and bridges and we
that all lumber dealers honest and that all road over
and road employees careful protest the couns IN
erests We know enough about the OF paying their bills
Ito know that the county protection again the unscrupuou
among them if there any. The board simply allows the bills
as they are presented that they right They do not
have any of knowing whether the amount OF noe
certain bridge and cuverts corresponds to the amount OF
an order when KID do they check the bill when 1t
presented the amount charged on the bill corresponds TO
the the order for the order caeo TOT more
materials than were needed for the work named and the man
having charge of the materials converted the to some other
use public or private charge that the system or lack of system
rs employed by the board would not reveal the
~ Commissioners Unwilling to Work
IN The commissioners do intend that anybody shall mis-
appropriate county property but the intentions OF the board are
not the net results They different The members have su
fcent intelligence protect the taxpayers these matters out
they are negeng their duty In other words they are unwilling
to devote sufficient their work to famlarze themselves
with the transactions they have guard At the last meet
ing of the board member talking about the receipts tor
that were attached bills and sad Well are we sup
posed add these and see if they are on oehg re-
minded that the board was elected look after such work.
and that county had been imposed substantial by
their not having done before he showed at the extra
time and work it would require They worked from Monday until
night dispose of the bills which they said was
smaller grst than usual of their other meetings they
had finished that kind of work in the first day On this occasion
they examined all the bills and studied of them carefully
believe they felt that they devotng more time to
IS them than ney care ~ "sah w 'hai '"o" ~ ~. ~ ~
that they could make their SIS day for the county they would