The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-03-01
Home of Progressivism in Idaho
(Lewiston Tribune)

The Idaho Free Press of Nampa,
Caldwell county, which captions it.
self as "the daily owned by thous-
and producers" prints the following
in its February number: Taxpayers
of Canyon county received a stunning
blow yesterday when the report of
the special audit of county records by
Byron Defenbach & Son was made
public by the county commissioners.
The audit shows a quarter of a mil
lion dollars in delinquent road and
bridge fund warrants drawing per
cent interest and selling at a discount
of per cent. 1t is also shown that
there are over 100000 worth of gen.
eral fund deficiency warrants out, al
so drawing per cent interest. The
county has a bonded debt of S1S4,SO0
and while payments of principal and
interest have always been met as they
became due, no sinking fund of any
kind has been started. On the con-
trary, the fund for meeting these obli-
cations is slightly overdrawn at the
beginning of the year The report
shows that 1t is costing about $4,000
per annum to operate the county, (
while the visible revenues are under |
s100,000. This unfortunate situation /
has existed for several years, until /
there are now outstanding current I
warrants in excess of 500, 900. AS
these draw interest at per cent, there
IS an addition to the already heavy
burden of some $1,000 for interest pay
nents."
With the mere figures of deficit or
excess there need be no general con-
,ern. Special and transient condi-
ions may affect any balance sheet
adversely, even that of a government
With tax-laying powers. The Canyon
ounty deficits come under a different q
lass and one which is dealt with by
he state constitution, in the following
erms: mo county, city, town, town
hip, board of education or school dis e
riot, or other subdivision of the state p
hall incur any Indebtedness, or liza
ility, in any manner or for any pur-
ose, exceeding in that year the in
ONE and revenue provided for it for
lch year without the assent of two
birds of the qualified electors thereof r
oting at an election to be held for =,
lat purpose, nor unless before or at :,
lie time Of mourning such indebted Il
ess, provision shall be made for the :.
election of an annual tax sufficient :.
pay the interest on such indebted
sss as it falls due, and also to con- -
itute a sinking fund for the pay -
ent of the principal thereof"
1t appears that the commissioners
Canyon county have been ignoring -
is constitutional provision year after -
ar and appropriating sums defn-
'ly and consistently in excess of the -
venues for the same period, until -
w there is an accumulation of I'M -
id debt and additional expenditure -
cause of interest and discount
lich works a serious hardship on -.
e taxpayer and places the public
edit below par. Meantime Canyon
unity is the fountain head of the
school of political thought -,
the state. The commissioners for -
lrs past have been of that mind.
! this is so whatever party name
y may have borne. They believe
the direct primary with all its par ,
lernalia with a zeal that rises ne,
we any temporal disappointment rea
misadventure. All political wis for
n and practically are subjected to mil
touchstone. pea
laybe school of thought is wrong. der
yoe those whose enthusiasm and Of
use faith run to formulas of that drii
are, after all. lacking in the broad out
erience, the perspective and the ore