The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-04-24

The firm of Defenbach & Moon ex-
pert public accountants, who six
years ago discovered and exposed
embellishments in our county, city
and school funds that had been sue
cessfully accomplished and con-
cealed from other audits, have just
completed and filed the report of
their 1923 audit. Under their direc-
ton, many changes were made in the
manner of keeping the records, and
now they record their approval of
the way the books are kept land af-
firm under oath that every dollar of
the county money is where it be-
longs.
With a sharp shrinkage in the
amount of taxes paid in, and the
amount of money available for road
purposes, the board of commission
ers have protected the investment
made in roads in former years and
continued construction both by the
home people and by joint state,
the panic started, the Yellowstone
Highway thru Bingham county was
in bad condition and the public was
WOIIlCO dOOut LILO uPhCOP VI ClO AC W
roads they had built. Now the yell
lowstone Highway is graded and
paved part way and graded and sur
faced the rest of the distance, has
been turned over to the state high
way department to maintain and
other sections of road in the county
have, been taken over or are in pro-
cess of being taken over by the state
L 49, 3d. IN
Since January, 1921, the delin-
quent taxes have mounted from
$189,O0O to $559,OO0, thus withhold
ing $4,000 from the county treas
ury because people did not have the
money to pay it, but the county gov
eminent has gone on functiOning and
reduced the amount of its outstand-
ing warrants and brought the price
of warrants back to par. 1t is an in
teresting story in the real life of
Bingham county and its people, and
will go down on the record as a brill
liant achievement of three years fol-
lowing mass meeting at the
called for the purpose OF
declaring the people insolvent In the
matter of paying their taxes, but
which turned into a "can-and-wilI'
that adopted a resolution to
pay all the taxes possible, sustain
the public treasury to the limit OF
peoples ability, sustain the reputa-
ton of irrigated land to support its |
and meet its bonds, to
hold up the hands of our delegation
in congress asking for appropriations
Tor reclamation. and to "hold steady
and not rock the boat"
The Clouds are Lifting
Many people have felt anxiety be-
;ause it requires $4,000 year to
,ay the interest charges on what is
Known as the bond roads, and in
1929 we shall begin paying $4,000
! year on the principal, and there
Ifter less each year on interest
charges. 1t has been a source of
lnxiety to know how we we're to
meet the $4,000 payment at the
,eak year of 1929, but the answer
o that is already taking form. The
delinquent taxes are piling up as a
to furnish money In future
ears to meet just such demands. 1t
8 the history of county governments
onfronted with the circumstances
We are now in, that II they can meet
urrent demands during panic, the
delinquent taxes and
ther sources of wealth that auto
flow into the public treas
Try with the return OF prosperity.
vill pay OF the bonds and people do
ot feel the weight of it. The road
onds referred to amount to $780,
90, and the accumulated delinquent
axes already amount to 1853, 200.
lost of this amount will be paid,
7hile property now being accumu-
ated by the county may eventually
ell for enough to give large profits
o the county The experience of
lder states going thru similar exper-
ences bears out this prediction. An
Their hopeful and reassuring indica-
lon regarding the payment of delin-
uencies is that the Defenbach and
loon report for 1922 showed about
1900 in arrears on personal prop
rty and during the year 1928 more
han $4,000 OF 1t was paid, this in the
vorst period of the panic.
Books are Better Kept
The reports of these public ac-
ountants of former years usually
bowed a confused condition regard
az fees earned by different officers.
ut not actually paid In and turned
1to the treasury, and recommended