Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-12-24

County POOR:
Gentlemen: This is our sixth re-
port to the board of trustees and our
twelfth report to the board of super
vsors. We respectfully submit our
annual report and statements Of finan-
ces and other matters pertaining to
the poor of Vernon county from July
! /, 1918, to June 80, 1919:
1 GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS and SALES
FROM FARM and OTHER SOURCES
Bal. in Co. Treas. Office July l, 1888 7.649.43
Appropriation for current expenses, lO,090.00
APPROX. for perm. improvements. 10000
Farm Sales OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 4.0s0.7I
Other sources ............+'. .'''' 80 4UV.oS
ExPENDITUREs DURING THE YEAR
Outside aid 10 towns. ...............S l.344.34
Outside Aid 70 villages 80: 80. a19.S9
Outside Aid. Wards, City of Viroqua 359.6z
County at Large .................. 1927
Permanent improvements ..-....... 128.7s
Current Exp. Co. farm and House. i0,3ss.65
Balance on hand july /. 8i9..,....$ 9.2O7,52
For the year 1919 the net current
expenses for maintaining the Aims
House and farm increased from S.
51429 in 1918, to $6,3078S, or a net
amount of $79359. As a matter of
fact, however the net current expenses
are not so great for the year 1919 as
in 1918, regardless of the increase in
the cost of food, clothing and other
necessities. A bill of $454,14 for feed
bought and consumed in 1918 was not
presented and paid until September,
1919. (See page % of our last an
nual report). Had this bill been pre-
scented and paid in 1918, as it should
have been, the net current expenses
for that year would have been $685.
40, as opposed to $5,853.74 for 1919, or
$114.69 less last year than the year
before. But this is not all. The coal
situation seemed to make it advisable
to lay in a supply for future use at a
time when it could be purchased for
| the least money We bought three
car loads, paying for two car loads of
coal in 1919, at cost of 1902 68, to be
consumed in 1920. Taking this into
consideration, the net current expen-
SEES are still further reduced by $602 SO
or $5,251.26. This amount may still
further be reduced by deducting the
increase in invoice of live stock for
1919 over 1918, which is 1865, leaving
the net current expenses for 1919 $4,-
2S626. (See table ~ Now leaving
the figures as above, the actual net
cost per capita for maintaining this
institution in 1919 vas 1884.
1t will be noted that the gross cur
rent expenses for 1919 were 0,3SS .65
compared with $7,430.70, in 1918. But
after placing the feed bill of $454.14,
above referred to, where L belongs,
and after dedueting $602.6S in coal
from the 1919 expenses, and placing
it in the 1920, where it will be consum-
ed, the difference in the gross current
expenses for the two years is only
81 ,447. This difference may be large
ly accounted for by the fact that
wages increased $16S.33; medical at
tendance $l23.S3; paint, putty, glass,
etc, $227.Sl; rent for farming land
$260.70 hardware $90.50; seeds, plants
etc, $74.32; threshing bill $79.79; and
disinfectantS $44.84. To this may be
added $40725, the amount paid for
stock and feed with which to feed it in
| 1919 over and above the amount ex-
pended for this same purpose in 1918,
and the excess of gross expense for
1919 over 1918 wholly disappears.
! But money expended for stock and
feed to fatten it is not really an ex-
pcnse unless it sells for less than cost.
/ The facts are that our sales from
stock increased from 5000 in 1918 to
/ S2,35955 in 1919. This increase add
ed to the increase in the sales of dai-
/ ny products plus the S23760 turned
into the county as the salary received
/ by the superintendent for services on
the local draft broad makes up the
bulk of the $2,164.36 increase in the
sales for 1919 over the sales for 1918.
While we have a larger amount of
hay and silage on hand this year than
last, the dry weather very materially
affected our wheat. oat and root crops,
which may be reflected in next years
gross current expenses unless the
amount of live stock is reduced. Ii
would not seem advisable to do this.
first, because our chief source of in
come is from our live stock. and. see
ond, we have always been able to
make our increase in sales from live
stock greatly overb8lance the cost of
maintenance whether the feed was
purchased outright or raised on TIE
farm. This year, by Increasing our
gross expenses over last yssr bv ghou
$500 IN the purchase of feed and live
stock We we're nos only shie 20 nearly
treble our sales. but were able to add
nearly Sl.oeJ 20 t0e value Of the i've
stock kept ou the farm.
We, have reduced iae uul.ber Of
grade cattle. en- she fam from - TO
IT. These i0voicc ae $50 rer head
or to,4. Of Si.55e Sc base ia-
creased che ma oAeT of rr--h- is
from J 3 to %. These invoice gt li+-
q" oNcr Sy'r eye or 4 r~.- Sc.
,30. lHe invoice en- ao IS .s It..t.s-
ed from $3.50 90 -, -akis- -5ssf
Of Ss5 for Z .ta over HTS.
r4