The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-09-24
A JOKE ON SOME COUNTY
OFFICIALS

Last winter when the editor OF
this paper was studying the problems
of the poor, meaning the indigents,
of this county, our suspicious were
aroused over the fact that some in-
digents live part of the time in some
other county or some other state, and
inquiries were made to see II any of
them were drawing aid or pensions
in both places. In the course of
such inquiries we learned that Bon
neville county was very proud of the
way they had disposed of the indi-
gents. We were informed with much
acclaim that they had that expense
down to minimum; that few were
drawing county money, because Of
the fact that when applications were
made for/help, the officials referred
the question to the relatives. and put
it up to them to take care of their
own. That feature Of their county
expense did not amount to much.
Ye editor was very glad to find
one county where the matter had
been handled so very properly; a
county where people had not been
pampered and encouraged in the no.
ton that the county owed them
everything they wanted. 1t seems,
however, that the reports were not
all in yet.
Bonneville county had its accounts
audited since that time and in our
issue of September 20 we published
the condensed report by the audit
ors. 1t shows that the expense of
taking care of the poor in that county
rose from $4,000 in 1911 to $11, 900
in 1917; an increase of over 800 per
cent in seven years.
For each 500 they pay in, taxes
$3.50 goes to support the poor in
these very prosperous days; $3.50 to
support the sheriff's office; $40 to
the public schools, $23.33 for city
and village tax and only $667 for
state tax.
More than once we have elected
a governor who said that he would
reduce our tax, and yet out of every
500 of tax collected we expend
1888 on local matters authorized
by ourselves that the governor has
no control of at all. When state
official comes to us again and tells
us that he can make any saving in
taxes in excess of or Z per cent, it
would be proper for Bonneville
county people to tell him that he
cannot save more than Z per cent if
he stops all state expenses When
a Bonneville county official tells us
that they have solved the problem of
caring for the poor, it would be pro-
per to ask why it is that the expense
doubles every two or three years.
We shall soon have an auditors
report of conditions in Bingham
county, and it will interest people to
know what increase we have had in
the same matters. 1t will also be a
very pertinent question for us to ask
ourselves what we are to expect in
the way of expenses for the INDECENT
in the few years following the war
when there may be slump in prices
slump in employment and a gen.
eral depression in business when
neither the poor nor the moderately
poor can get employment and when
the rich and well-to-do have diff
ficulty to get money enough to pay
their taxes. These are some of the
subjects we should study before the
time comes, and in bonding the
county for a million 4Alars to build
roads will furnish employment for
a good many home people and give
us roads that will enable us to haul
larger loads at less expense, it may
be very timely to keep us in the
game.