Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1905 — GRAFTERS FEAR PUBLICITY. [ARTICLE]

GRAFTERS FEAR PUBLICITY.

Oxford Tribune: Publicity is the rock that grafters shun. The trustee of a township in Warren county, published his report as required by law, but in a paper as far removed as possible from those interested. The taxpayers on investigating the same found that the salary paid was SB9O, or 450 days pay at $2 per day. This was crowding the calendar. His salary for the four years averaged almost $750 per year. There were but 1461 days in the four years, 208 of which were Sunday, yet pay was exacted for 1468 days, or 215 more work days than in the calendar, not including holidays. The law allows $2 per day as trustee and the same for looking after the poor, yet no charge shall be made for double service on the same day The trustee “discovered” the error and returned $508,81. It cost the taxpayers about sls for the publication of the annual report and they have been saved over S4OO. This is a bigger per cent than 40 cents corn or 30 cent oats. It pays to give publicity to official reports. The conditions that usually follow investigations of those officials who object to having reports published in the interest of economy show

that publicity is feared. A grafter is always kicking on the profits a newspaper makes on reports.