Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1898 — Keener Township Gravel Roads [ARTICLE]

Keener Township Gravel Roads

A Sample of the Business Methods of the Present Board of Commissioners of Jasper County. We herein submit a few facte for the consideration of the taxpayers of Keener Township. The contract for the construction of 16 miles of gravel road was let to S. McGinnis on March 8,1897, for the sum of $31,858. The township was bonded for $31,500 and the taxpayers ‘ have so far paid one dollar (taxes of 1897) on each one hundred dollars valuation of all the property of Keener Township, and one dollar per one hundred dollars valuation, levied for 1898, will be due soon. Of the bonds, $3,000 was paid Nov. 15 of last year and $3,000 more is due and payable on the 15th of the present month, making a total of $6,000, in addition to the interest, now paid, or soon to be paid, and only a little more than one and one-half miles of the road is now completed. * This is a sample of the business management of the present Board of Commissioners. The bond of the contractor, which is supposed to stand between the taxpayers and the contractor, is not to be found in the office of the county auditor, neither is it a matter of record, as the law requires. Should the contractor see fit to throw up his contract he can do so, as there is no bond in existence which could compel him to complete the contract, but the taxpayers would be compelled TO V*Y THE $31,858 OF GRAVEL ROAD BONDS WHETHER THE ROAD WAS COMPLETED OB NOT! The Board of Commissioners have already expended $13,209.27 on the construction of the road, and the taxpayers of Keener Township must be the judges as to whether the less than two miles of roadway constructed is value received or not. Below we give an itemized list of the expenditures, with book and page where same may be found. This, however, does not include all the expense, as election expenses and unpaid bills now due are not included. Record 10, Pages 358, 384, 408, 439, 440, 509. G E Marshall, printing, Keener tp., gravel roads... $ 98 50 Indianapolis Journal, publishing gravel road notice 12 00 G E Marshall, printing, Keener tp., gravel roads 33 75 E L Clark, abstracting proceedings in Keener tp., gravel r. . 825 R W Marshall, work Keener tp., gravel roads 5 25 H B Murray, car fare to Chicago on K. tp., gravel r matters 4 25 C E Mills, services Keener tp gravel roads 15 25 F E Boetwick, work Keener tp gravel roads. 2 00 E L Clark, abstracting Keener tp gravel roads 28 25 J C Gwin, car far to Chicago, Keener tp gravel roads 4 65 W B Burford, printing Keener tp gravel road bonds 63 00 Record 10, Pages 517,532, 538, 540, 546, 563. L A Boetwick, work on Keener tp gravel roads 45 64 F E Boetwick, same. 4 47 H L Gamble, same 17 25 S McGinnis, contractor Keener tp gravel roads 23 89 “ same 279 68 “ same 410 29 Newcastle Bridge & Sewer Co. 3 culverts on K. tp gravel r. 1 000 00 S McGinnis, estimate on Keener tp gravel roads. 489 68 8 McGinnis, estimate on Keener tp gravel roads 225 50 S McGinnis, estimate on Keener tp gravel roads 310 05 ‘ “ same 252 97 W H Rooney, three steel bridges Keener tp gravel road.... 983 58 S McGinnis, work Keener tp gravel road 416 68 “ same 449 16 Record 11, Pages 1, 9,13, 24, 27, 36, 44, 56, 72. S McGinnis, work Keener tp gravel, roads 820 00 L A Boetwick, work Keener tp gravel roads. .48 40 “ work Otis gravel roads 6 25 H L Gamble, work Otis gravel road. 2 65 8 McGinnis, DeMotte gravel road 11l 65 “ same on same • 117 92 “ same extra 2 per cent, on Keener tp gravel r. 1 075 64 J H McClanahan, grading Keener tp gravel road 204 32 8 McGinnis, work Keener tp gravel r0ad................. - 352 32 L A Boetwick, work Keener tp gravel road 4 75 8 McGinnis, work Keener typ gravel road. 128 08 A McCoy & Co. freight on gravel Keener tp gravel road... 15 60 “ same 68 25 “ same 8 10 Record 11, Pages 80,91, 96,120, 121,130 132.1 i 8 McGinnis, work Otis gravel road 138 45 “ same 50 25 A McCoy & Co. freight on gravel Keener tp gravel road.... 31 00 “ same, 38 15 H L Gamble,work DeMotte gravel road. 9 25 A McCoy & Co. freight Keener tp gravel road. 8 10 “ same. 57 15 8 McGinnis, work Keener tp gravel road 1 200 00 f • same 600 00 “ same ......’ 600 00 “ same 600 00 Record 11, Pages 134,145,154. “ work Otis gravel road 598 41 41 / work DeMotte gravel road 316 48 “ work Keener gravel road 788 61 H L Gamble, engineer Keener tp gravel road 24 25 ■*' “ same..... 6 25 r: 58 Grand total , v ....,.../.... f i3.a09.*7 We would ask the taxpayers of Keener Township to carefully consider the above facte and figures. That the board of commissioners have been negligent where the interests of the taxpayers is concerned, no one will deny, and we ask you in the interest of lower taxes and a pledge on the part of the candidates, to vote the Democratic county ticket on Nov. 8. ' l ■*.: NoffE: —Should anyone dispute any of the figures herein contained, go t«,®fhe records and this article will enable you to turn to the record andpage and investigate for yourself.