The weekly soliphone., 1916-10-27
Magistrate Vote Unanimously tt Retain Farm Demonstrator and
 Domestic Science Agent.

bers of the county quorum court met at the court house yesterday and made the annual tax levies and appropriations for the various de- partments of the county govern ment There were no contests or divisions over any of the matters coming before the court with the exception of a proposed raise in the salary of the county farm demon- strator The committee that passed upon the reports of Thos. J. Bentley, demonstrator, and Miss Grace Ev- ans, domestic science agent, recom- mended that both agents be retain ed, the former at the present sal ary of $1,200 and the latter at what ever salary the magistrates desired to fix. When the question of fix ing the salary arose a motion was made to pay MT. Bentley $1, 200. Esq. A. E. Hays asked for an in- crease to 1,500 on the ground that the demonstrator had bought car with his own funds, that his work was most profitable to the farming interests, and that with the present low price of scrip he barely makes a living on a salary of $1,20O. 9th CTS talked in favor of an increase to 300. Upon vote, however, on- lv ten favored raising the salary to $500 while fourteen voted against the raise. The magistrates then unanimously voted to pay MT. Bent lev S1.2O0 and Miss Evans 5000, the salary paid her this year.
 The annual report filed by County Clerk Guss Powell showed the county's financial condition to be considerably improved over last wear. The total net indebtedness, less the amounts due from the seV- eral drainage districts, is $3S,35O.- S3. The total income of the county due from taxes and other sources is S38.43724. By the time the tax money comes in the county Wili be forced to incur additional ex- penses, which, upon conservative estimate, should leave the net in dabtedness not in excess of 5000.
 Judge J. l.. Light, in making ms final annual report to the quorum court said in part:
 1.-Two years ago we were consid- cred in a veritable state of bank ruptcy. likewise our various road districts. Many merchants and mlli men openly refused to accept scrip at any price, in payment for the county's necessaries; scrip, when It could be sold brought less than 4o cents on the dollar and went peg ging at that We had to borrow mcsev on our own personal ac- count to buy fuel for the poor farm the dead of winter and refuhd the amount out of the lncldental road fund and this too with a con- dition of roads and bridges espe- cially as to the bridges, in state of delapdation.
 "One year ago, notwithstanding the fact that I had been able to re- duce the .ounty's indebtedness more than $14,0OO, scrip still sold upon the market on 40 per cent basis This meant that we had two-fifths only of the revenue that we seemed to have for the purpose of defray- ing the incidental expenditures oi the county.
 "Rut what do we find at the close of these two current years that we have worked together? A net indebtedness of only $3S,35o'oS' which is offset by an income or S38,4S724. This income IS hgureo on a basis of what it was last year. the taxes of the two years Delhs practically the same. Hence we are now ahead in the sum Of $S1; put to be accurate and just, we must state that this income IS not que ill after January 1st and the eN- penses of November and December will have accrued which Will re- duce this balance in our faVor to an indebtedness amounting to- l should guess, less than $5,OOO.
 'Upon this basis scrip no longer goes begging for a purchaser; Ill fact scrip today is worth close to the dollar mark. Recently the Chamber of Commerce rendered US services and offered to sign note' borrow the money and put Greene county on cash basis and the fact that it did not consummate the deal was no fault of the gentlemen who so gallantly made the proffer. Joseph R. Bertig has made stand ing offer of 75 cents, if he can pur- chase all the outstanding scrip put of course finds no takers.
 eve have been able to prihs 'ne countv out of this state or pahk- ruptcy together with the various road districts as well, and at the