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Show MANAGEMENT OF COUNTY WAS BAD People's Money Was Squandered. Extracts From Financial Report of County Auditor That Interest. Administration Last Year Was Such ns to Mako Taxpayers of Salt Lake County. Indignant. It cost the taxpayers of Salt Lake county, In expenditures Tor all purposes, last year, $79,358.23 more than during; tho year 1003, an increase of more than SO per cent. This Is tho record of tho administration which was pointed out last fall as unfitted to be Intrusted with the financial affairs of the county. Tho story of tho Increase la ono that Is interesting; to men and women who havo to hustle around about taxpaylng tlmo to meet their assessments. For Instance: Tho account for roads and bridges was Increased last year from $13,853.69 in 1903 to ?S0,Sll.3S, with scarcely a thing to show for It. The Incrcnso of W6.95-l.79 was almost wholly mado during the campaign mouths, and was principally principal-ly for tho employment of men lor the purposo of perpetuating the Salt Lake machine. Lnat full The Tribune pointed out tho shnmelessness of this expondlturo by the Board of Commissioners. Mnny votes were cast for a change In administration, but tho machine was all-powerful. Votes were also purchased through the Issuance of pauper orders, and this Item, already excessive, was Increased from $19.-129.00 $19.-129.00 to r23.199.30. Even the physician's account of S7SIG.S9 was popped up to $10,-223.46 $10,-223.46 without explanation and wllhout-an apparent reason for It. Three Hundred for WhatP Of tho $23,199.30 by tho Relief committee th?- $100 ensh Items were turned ovor to one of tho members of tho Board of Commissioners. Com-missioners. James II. Anderson, without a word of explanation to nhow what was done with the money. Commissioner Standlsh, the chairman of tho Pauper committee, was paid $300 a month for contingent con-tingent expenses, but ho filed nn Itemized statement showing for what the disbursement disburse-ment was mado or to whom the money was paid. Standlsh's voucher Is ubove board, nnd while not In strict conformity to tho law. It accounts for every dollar that passed through hln hands. Tho Recorder's ofllco lost year expended expend-ed $7501.01 more than It received from fees nnd Stato salary account. In 1903 the excess ex-cess of expenditures over receipts was 510SS.C3. A similar story Is told In the management manage-ment of the Sheriff's office. In 1903 tho Sheriff expended $1S.S3S.51 more than ho collected. Last year the dellclt made a loap to $22,090.55. In 1993 tho Sheriff's ofllco of-llco collected but $4141.SS In fees. Last year there wan but 53751.-I9 collected. In addition to the Sheriff's offlco expenditures, expendi-tures, thero was an expenditure of $10,-20S.I7 $10,-20S.I7 on criminal account. One Office's Good Showing. In 1903' the Clerk's office paid a surplus of $4905.30 Into the treasury. Last year the surplus was $3S45.C1. This ofllco cost $50.10 less than the year bofore. which, with tho exception of the County Attorney's Attor-ney's office, was the only one In the county coun-ty that did not havo nn Increase of expenditure ex-penditure over 1903. The account of the Fruit Tree Inspector for some unexplained reason Increased from $1533.12 In 1903 to 52104 76 In 1901. Then thero Is that $14.3S3.1G for an Insufficiently In-sufficiently watered Infirmary slto which Commissioner Anderson purchased In part through his daughter, a few days before he retired from tho office. Election expenses lncreaeed from $1915.11 to $10,129.00, which was a legitimate Increase. In-crease. This, In addition to about $5000 necessary Increases In clerk allowance to two or three of tho county officers, on the face of the facts, seem to bo the really real-ly proper offsets to tho Increased expenditure expendi-ture by the County Commissioners last year of $79,S5S.23. Assets Have Dwindled. On January 1, 1901, the assets of tho county amounted to $74G,423.SS. At tho closo of tho year tho assets had dropped to $G94,0C2.47, or a shrinkage of $51,3C1.41. The assets over tho liabilities at the close of 1903 were 5212.0G4.29. At the closo of 1901 they were but $149.9SS.1G. Tho outstanding out-standing warrants December 31, 1903. amounted to but $12G4.S4. At tho closo of 1901 theso warrants amounted to $1S,2SS.S9. Thero was $141,852.19 cash on hand on December 31, 1903. This had dwindled to 579.7S0.8t at the clone of last year. The net receipts over expenditures for the county for 1903 wero $50,1GG. Last year tho excess ex-cess was but 5G13S.5S. ' In tho general expenso fund January 1, 1905. there was but $21,127.57, as against $GS.240.29 the year prior, or a sum only sufficient to meet the outstanding warrants. war-rants. Now there Is not sufficient cash to meet the general expensce. |