The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1920-02-05
BILL KILLED
Number of Newspaper
Men Appear Before
The House Com
mittee and Get
Committee to
Kill a Bad
Bill.

Some days ago the Senate Of Ken
lucky passed a measure known as the
Bright Bill. which made il optional
with the Fiscal Court whether the
Sheriff's Settlement should be pub
lished in full or as a synopsis.
The bill was opened before the
committee by b. b. Cozine and NJ. o.
Sullivan. Shelbyville; II. W. " Rich
ardson and J. c. Alcock. Danville;
NJ V. Bell. Lawreneebury; T. W.
Adams, Ashland; and ID. VI. Hutton,
Harrodsburg. members Of the Ken
lucky Press Association. The news
papermen said they were not aetuated
by a desire for the advertising. be-
cause rates have gone above the
ordinary rate for such publications.
but their experience has demonstrated
that IL is important to make public
a full statement Of where county rev.
enues come from and 20. They ar
gued that a synopsis or recapitulation
showing the amounts spent in various
funds would be worthless for infor-
nation throwing light on the manage
ment Of public funds.
This matter was up before the Ken
lucky Court Of Appeals some months
ago and in handing down a decision,
showing that il was the duty Of the
Fiscal Court to publish the report in
full. Judge Sampson, of the Court
said:
This statue was passed in the in
terest of the public good. In such
matters publicity is safeguard, which
when well employed. renders the pub
lie revenue even more secure than
from bars or fire-proof safes. The
fiscal affairs sometimes have fallen
into such bad way that those having
them in charge have carefully with
held and guarded the true condition.
less the public become informed and
select a new set Of officers at the
next ensuing election. To prevent
this. and that the taxpayers and real
4 persons in interest might know the
facts. the legislature has provided for
the publication of this statement. II
did not leave IL in the discretion Of
the fiscal court to publish the state
ment IL in its judgment II should
think best. but the provision is man
datory. and the publication must be
made, whether II suits the conven-
fence or the financial condition Of the
county or its fiscal agents or not.
II has q beneficial purpose and when
well employed. no body has a whole
some influence. The correct status
Of the financial affairs Of the county
is brought home to those directly
affected. To give the fiscal court
a discretion as to whether the state
ment should be published. or how il
should be published, would. in cases
in which il was most needed. and
primarily intended to correct, de-
feat the whole purpose Of the statue.
Those counties whose financial affairs
have been so conducted as to warrant
the officers in voluntarily making pub
lie the receipts and disbursements,
are not the ones intended to be reach
ed by this act, but it is those counties
whose affairs have been so misman-
aged that the fiscal court would rath-
err hide than exploit the real condi-
tons. The county newspaper usually
reaches very large per cent Of the
population Of the county and its con-
tents are carefully read. Its influence
is far reaching. II its editor be SEN
sible, discreet and industrious eiti-
zen the paper win accomplish great
and lasting good. Such an institution
should be recognized and eneour-
aged"