The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-05-09
F|NANCESAN
OF THE REPORT
COST OF GOVERNMENT IN THIS
COUNTY-AUDlT COVERS
FIVE YEARS.

The Miner has received synopsis
of the report of Byron Defenbach &
Sons, who recently completed an au-
dit of the financial books of Shoshone
ending Februayr g. 1918. The report
covers 100 pages of typewriter mat
ter. 1t shows that during the period
the amount of cash handled by the
thirds of which came from direct tax
alton. The total amount collected
each year has not varied as much as
in most counties. The automobile
tax increased from $4,000 in 1915 to
$4,000 last year. The passing of the
saloon deprived the county of a rev.
enue which in 1913 was $4,000.
Costs of Government Compared.
The report makes an interesting
comparison of the costs of county
government in five counties of the
state. these counties being nearly the
same size and are named in the order
of their taxable wealth: Bannock,
Shoshone, Latah, Kootenai and Bon
Eer. The report shows that Bannock
county which contains the city Of
Pocatello, most nearly approaches
Shoshone county in wealth, Bannock
being 4 per cent larger. Bannock also
has a much larger population, but the
auditors say that the two counties are
in many ways similar. The total cost
of strictly county government in the
five counties compared was in 1915 as
follows:
Bannock county ..............$ $4,000
Shoshone county ............. 0S,000
Latah county ....e........... $4,000
Kootenai county .............. 10000
Bonner county .............. $4,000
The auditors find that the excessive
cost of government in Shoshone coun
ty as shown in the comparison is ac-
counted for to a great extent in the
high salaries paid in this county and
to the expense of caring for the indi-
gent poor and sick. 1t is noted that
Latah county manages to care for it's
INDECENT population at an annual cost
of $54OO; in Shoshone county it ap-
proaches $4,000. The cost in this
county has varied but little for sew
eral years.
Schools and Roads.
| The report finds that the cost of the
public schools in ShoshOne county in
creased from $4,000 in 1913 to $247,~
900 in 1917. School costs in Bannock
county was $164,OOO and in Latah and
Kootenai, $4,000 each.
The report finds considerable vari-
alton in the amounts expended on the
roads during the years covered. In
1918 the total was $4,000; in 1914 it
was sS1, 900; in 1916 it was $4S,OOO; in
1916 it was $4,000 and in 1917 it was
$95,000.
In comparing the costs of running
the county in the different years the
report shows less increase in Sho-
shone than in most counties. In the
principal county Offices the cost has
been practically the same from year
to year. The rate of taxation has
been 10 mills since 1915. In BannOck
county, the report says, the rate is
liz, Latah, 10R, Kootenai 1914 and
Bonner 49,
Cost Of Boarding Prisoners.
The report of Defenbach & Sons
draws attention to the steadily grow
ing cost of boarding prisoners in the
county Jail, an expense to which com
Iparatively few taxpayers have given
attention. The report shows that In
1913 the cost of boarding prisoners in
Shoshone county was $1,000. In 1914
the cost increased $1,000, making il
s2sO0. In 1915 business in the county
boarding house was not so good. the
cost dropping down to s21OO. But in