Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1899 — THE COUNTY ESTIMATES. [ARTICLE]

THE COUNTY ESTIMATES.

A Few Suggestions to the County Council Whereby Savings May Be Made. One week from next Tuesday the newdy organized County Council will meet to pass on the proposed estimates of county expenditures for the coming year and to make the county tax levy. A few suggestions to the Council whereby several thousand dollars may be saved without harm to the public business may not be out of place at this time, and The Democrat respectfully submits the following for the consideration of same: All special allowances in excess of salary to all officers should be cut off entirely. The supreme court has repeatedly held the fee and salary law constitutional, and that law confines all officers strictly to the salary fixed by statute for all their duties, except the 4 per cent, to the treasurer for collecting delinquent taxes, and the sheriff's services in cases coming from other counties. The estimate of Auditor’s salary, $2,200, should be cut to $1,900. The regular salary of this office is $1,700 and the new reform laws fix the extra amount to be allowed, at the discretion of the Council, at not less than S2OO nor more than S6OO. Jasper county being one of the lowest classed counties in point of business done, the S2OO salary would apply. It is ridiculous to say that the auditor of this county should have SSOO for extra services under this law when the auditor of Marion county can get but $600! The county superintendent’s estimate should be chopped down at least one-third, also the truant officer’s estimate. It is altogether wrong that Jasper county’s superintendent’s office should cost more than that of Marion or Allen counties, for salary and institutes. Cut down the number of days the superintendent and truant officer shall serve, and clip off a few of the former's printing bills, which are very frequent and run into a large amount. The Board of Review estimate should also be trimmed down considerably. as should also the estimate for free gravel road repairs. This latter item is about three or four times as much, taking the number of miles into consideration, as that paid by neighboring counties, and is unreasonably excessive. The election estimates should be trimmed down so as to allow for but two days pay at most for members of election boards. It is an outrage to allow’ pay for three days, $6, for such services. The county farm estimates should also be reduced. The average number of inmates here is about 13, and we have a good 278-acre farm, yet the estimate for maintenance is $3,050. The estimate for water should be cut to S2OO at least. The Monon railroad company gets water for its locomotives, and ten incandescent lights for $350 per year, the price now paid by the county for water alone, while the former will use at least one hundred times as much water as the county. In fact, more water leaks from the Monon’s water tank than the county uses. George E. Marshall uses at least twenty times as much water as the county, in running his water motor, street and yard sprinkling, domestic use, etc., and yet he has a ten year contract for $36 per year! If this is not satisfactory, let the the Council recommend that a meter be put in and the county pay the same rate as that paid at other places where meters are used. “Laundry and soap” bills if allowed at all, should be restricted to sl2 per year. This will buy considerable soap at ordinary figures, and will also pay for washing a great many towels. Toilet paper should be figured at not to exceed $5 per 100 rolls. The price heretofore paid, $950, is nothing more nor less than robbery. All allowance for wolf or fox scalp bounty should be absolutely cut off, and all incidentals which includes “mdse., etc.,” —which has heretofore been purchased at most extravagant prices—in some cases

double what almost any honest retailer would think of charging—should be carefully looked over by the Council and pared down to conform with ordinary figures for merchandise, and many of the items should, no doubt be cut off entirely. Another item that needs pruning a little is the book and stationery estimates. Our expenditures for such supplies in 1890 was but $825. In 1898 it had jumped up to $2,882.08, which is almost three times as much as theamounts paid by either White, Benton or Newton counties, and is beyond all reason. Postage allowance to all county officers should not exceed $1 each per month. These bills have reached an outrageous figure of late. In “subscriptions to newspapers,” not one penny should be appropriated unless it shall include all papers published in the county. If it is for the “historical” features that the county pays for and has bound and preserved the three republican papers of Rensselaer—Republican, Journal and Barnacle—then the The Democrat, Remington Press and Wheatfield paper should be added to the lists. They are published in the county and are entitled to as much consideration as the others. Let all be taken at public expense or lop off those three now being paid for out of the county treasury. We believe the ordinary running expenses of the county can be reduced several thousand dollars by lopping off unnecessary expenditures here and there, and the taxpapers of the county look to the County Council to carefully trim down all extravagant estimates.