The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1915-02-11
BETTER REsolnp AGAIN

BETTER RE8ClND AGAIN
Nearly year ago. the board of
county commissioners passed a
resolution to charge the sheriff
this year $50 a month house rent,
and Just as it was going into eff
feet. the board rescinded the res
Olution and passed another one
differing little in phraseologv.
and requiring him to pay only
$50 a month.
The whole proceeding NAV
have been. and probably was TAX
en- in good faith but it was a mis-
take from the beginning, and if
Sheriff Budack pays the county
rent for occupying it's Jail resi-
dence without protest he will
do more than most other men
would do. for where does the
county get it's authority, or where
did it acquire the right, to charge
its sheriff and taller house rent I?
Where did it get the right to levy
a tax or appropriate the peoples
money to build property to rent ?
If the building was not for cOun-
ty use why was it built at all? And
it it was built for county use. and
is being so used, where does it get
authority to rent it?
Why charge the sheriff for the
building he uses and allow all the
other officials, including the
commissioners themselves, free
use of the county building? Or if
the sheriff must pay for the fuel.
water. ETC.. he uses while work
ing for the county, why not
charge all the county officials for
their rooms. heat. water. etc?
The law makes the sheriff, the
iailer of the county. and the jail
er must live close to his guests
in order to feed and properly care
for them. and there must be a
family. or at least woman, to
do the cooking. For this purpose
the county has provided it's taller
with a suitable house in connec-
ton with the county Jail. and it
expects the sheriff to occupy it..
Now it wants the sheriff to pay
the county for living in this
house.
The sheriff. and nobody else
would select house alongside of
a lot Of noisy criminals. or per-
sons charged with crime, as a
place to live. but he occupies the
iailer's residence only because he
is expected to do so, and that he
may the better attend to his du-
ties as taller. He does the cook
ing. baking. etc. for the county.
why should he be expected to re-
imburse the county for the fuel
he uses in working for it?
The sheriff has all along vol
UNFAIRLY paid for the fuel used in
the cooking. and what more could
be reasonably asked?
Another thing: If the county
collects rent for the use of the
iailer's residence. then that resi-
dence will be placed on the tax
duplicate. and the county must
pay more tax on the sheriff's resi-
dence than it will receive for
rent. What, then. will be gained
by making the sheriff pay rent?
But the present resolution
seeks to avoid the rent charge by
charging the sheriff $20 a month
for fuel, water. etc. A thing that
is wrong in principle can't be
made right by changing the word
ing of the resolution. Neither will
it escape taxation to say it is
for fuel and water. 1t will not
cost $40 month the year round
to pay for the water and fuel the
sheriff uses for his own family
and how can the board make it
appear to the satisfaction of the
tax commission. or anybody else
that it does cost Just $50 a
month? The fact is. that this
change in the wording to make, it
appear that it is not for rent. or
at least part of it is not for
rent, is a mere subterfuge. and
does not alter the facts at all.
If it is the intent of the board
to charge for water. fuel and
lights only. than the only way to
accomplish that is to keep an
ltemized account of the cost of
these things, and charge exactly
what they cost. and no more. No
lump sum of 500. or any other
sum. will serve to avoid taxation
on leased property.
The sheriff would do the county
a real service if he refuses to paw
that $50 a month. and thus save
the county lot of taxes. Would
mt it be better to rescind this last
resolution also. and let the sheriff
continue as he has been do
ing. He receives a much less
salary than some of the other
county officials, anyway, and why
single him out for rental char
ges?
WASHINGTON INCIDENT
One Of the most unnatural en-
mites known to exist ia the enmitv