Mr. Platt Figures

To Uie Editor of The Register :- Sir :-The Argus, two weeks ago, charged that I visited at the coutity house too much carried away provisions, and fed my horge there too often. Whether my horse has been fed oftener at the county house than the county horses have been fed at my barn, I cannot say. I have taken grapes from the couniy furm, and have taken my own pear9 there. Whether my friendly relations with Mr. and Mrs. MoDowell have been advantageou? or disadvantageous to the county, I leave to be " investigated " by the Argus. It has been customary, heretofore, for the keeper of the couaty house to furnish substantially his own roomp, and on leaving, to take his goods away with equivalent articles to make good those wora out in the service of the county. Keepers Yost, Kinne, Van Riper, and McDowell all did this. For instance, a short time before Mr. Van Riper (Mr. McDowell's Democratie predece9sor) left, the tuperintendents bought of Joseph Donnelly $118 worth of crockery, and when Mr. McDowell took posession, a short time after, there was not crockery enough to be found to set the table. A short time before Mr. McDowell left, $32 worth of crockery was bought, and the present keeper did not find it all at the house j when he took possession. Mr. McDjwell probably followed the example of his predecessor, and took enough of the crockery to make good his own, which was used up in the service of the county. This is no doubt an improper and loose way of doing lm?iness : but the varioua keepers luve pursued the same course probably without a thought of its beina; wrong or hable to misconstruction. The present board of superintendents is to be commended for providing that hereafter the county ehall own all the furniture and goods in the keeper's department, and the retiring keeper be instructed to take nothing away. As there is a disposition to make "cap ital" out of this matter, the tax-payers of Washtenaw county may have a curiosity to know the coat of running the county farm and house, during the nine yeara of the Republican McDowell's term of office, and tne nine years of his Democratie predecessor. DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRAT10N OF ME OOÜNTY HOUSE. Av. No. Av. cost tures, support'd per week. 1870 !$ 9,997.44 102 $ 1.65 1871 9,433.80 96 1.74 1872 10,510.00 102 193% 1873 „.. 12,575.74 109 1.86 1874 1875 17.047.28 132 1 94 1-5 1876 10,336.42 103 1.93 1877 13,686.06 109 1.90 1878 12,705.42 144 1.48 It will be noticed that the figures for 1874 are missing. Tfie report of the superintendents for that year was not printed and cannot be found. That the report cannot be found is very significant, as there was much complaint by the board of supervisors about the county house management for that year. It is safe to estímate the cost of conducting the county house for that year at $12,000, which would make the total cost of the Democratie management for the nine years. $108.292 9G. REPIBLICAN ADMINISTRATIOX OF THE COÜNTT HOUSE. At. No. Av. cost tures, support'd per week. 1879 10,089.49 116 il 25 1880 9,865.12 93 1.40 1881 6,774 83 89 1.11 1832 6,365.27 75 1.25 1883 7,259.13 81 1.35 1884 7,215.60 88 1.25 1885 7,064.59 92 1.35 1886 6,534.761 94 1.25 1887 6,191.43 94 1.25 There is a difference in nine years, n favor of Republican management, of $40,932.84. The average cost of each pauper per week. durinf? nine years of Democratie management, is $1.80. The average coat of each pauper per week, during nine years of Republican can management, is $1.27. So it seems that Mr. McDowell and the board made the support of the poor very much cheaper to the tax-payers of the county, than bis Democratie predecessor. The reports of the superintendents of poor for the last 18 years, are rather interesting readiag. Tax-payers have paid lor old worn-out sewing machines, carpenters' tools, and "drugs" bought at "saloons," but not during Mr. McDowell's admiaistration. But we will let it all pass for the present. The reports are laid away for future referen ce if need be. In the mean time an efíbrt will be made to flnd the missing report of 1871.