The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-05-13

How UluCu does ~ COSL 10 Iul Ao~
nosha county and what is the money
collected from the taxpayers for"
This question is asked a lot of times
and SO far as the year 1918 is concern
ed it is answered in the audit report
Of Charles H. Winke, which was pre-
sented to the county board late Thurs
day afternoon. The audit, was inter-
esting. 1t gives clean bill to every
official in the county. 1t declares that
the records are in excellent shape and
makes only few suggestions for i'm
provement. One is that the county get
busy and collect from other counties
in the state some $4,000 which Is due
for the care Of patients at Willow
brook. Some of these bills have re-
NAMED unpaid since 1915. The money
is to be collected at once.
The auditor suggests that granting
credit for fines in the municipal court
Is a poor practice and urges the dis
continuance Of the system. 1t can be
said that the credit system at the
court has sent lot of men back to
work instead Of back to jail and that
the losses have been very small.
Cash Fines FOR the Future.
It is probable, however, that in the
near future the court will insist on
the cash except in cases where parties
are we'll known, and in such cases the
chance to pay the fine will probably
be given just as in the past The mat
ter is one wholly within the province
OF the Judge and the clerk Of the court
and as the Judge has full power to re-
init any or all fines. The auditor sug-
gests one thing which undoubtedly will
have the entire support of the Off
Gals Of the municipal court, and that
is that the system Of granting credit
20 attorneys be abandoned and that
all dealings with the court in the flu
ture be placed on the cash basis This
plan is now followed in. the Office Of
The clerk Of the circuit court Under
the law the fees are expected to be
paid on eases before they are filed.
These suggestions are just side lights
on the report Of CHE auditor, and the
eallSfinteresting part of II is the long
coumn Of figures showing the cost of
operating the county through its diff
ferent departments. The report shows
that during the year the total Of $764,-
1880 was handled by the county Off
eials. OF this there was balance Of
$50,976.27 in the treasurer's hands at
the opening of the year.
The total disbursements for the year
totaled $6s8 1868 and the balance on
hand with the opening Of the year 1920
was $64 ,49660
What Departments Cost.
The interesting part Of the report is
the showing Of the cost of the various
departments Of the county govern
ment The expense Of maintaining the
county board was $5,01692, of which
She big items were salary and mileage
Of members, $2,O5726, while there was
paid for committee work $2,S07,10.
The maintenance of the various
county offices including all fees paid
to assistants and deputies, was shown
as follows:
County clerk, $4,000; county treas
urer, S1,345.01; district attorney,
S3,00s.O1; divorce counsel, $1,090Oo;
coroner, $1,71212; county agent, $780,
90; sheriff, S6,25000; motor cycles Off
GERS and expense, $3,O5ts2; police Off
GERS expense out Of county, $74s41;
register Of deeds, $3,50479; county
superintendent, $1,945.3s; supervising
teacher, s1,05O.2S; county agricultur-
list, S1,696.25.
Costs OF the Courts.
The report shows clearly the cost
Of the judicial branch Of the county's
government. The circuit court cost
the county during the year $6,804.80.
The cost Of the municipal court was
s9.933,57, and that of the county court
$3,30666. These amounts includes all
the expenses of these courts, including
the salaries Of all judges, clerks and
deputies, as well as the miscellaneous
expense, of maintaining the courts.
Spend Over s100,00G on Court House
The report tabulates the expenditures
VA 1919 along the line of securing a
new court house for the county. The
total Of this bill was $104,S3S.43. This
included the S94,4460O paid for the
court house site, $S50O00 paid to the
architects for plans and specifications,
$774s4 as expenses of county board
committees and $1,OO4.92 paid to the
city for special assessments for street
improvements. The report shows that
the county received from the sale of
the buildings on the court house site
s9,62000, and the county has received
as rent S5S7.O0 up to the time of the
making Of the report.
WiIlowbrook Costs $21,s6S
The tabulated report Of the cost Of
maintaining the sanitorium at Willow
brook showed expenses for the year
Of S2Ts6S.00. The report shows that
this cost was reduced by receipts from
pay patitnts and other receipts to the
amount Of more than 100000.
One Of the biggest items of expense
of the county in the year 1919 was
the building Of highways The report
shows expenditures Of $1S5,79s.72 for
highway construction with an expendi-
ture for administration of only 49,
69S.22. During the year the county
purchased machinery for highway work
to the amount of s6,653.87.
The fact that ali people are not
rrompt in cashing orders given to them