Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1854-02-10
County Government.

the Resolutions on the SuDJecC Oh Oouhty
Government, adopted at the meeting at
buttons, and comments thereon as fol-
lows:
We have been rather favorably dispo-
sod towards the proposed change. Ii the
commissioner system is all that Its friends
claim for it. then by all means let us have
it. and the sooner the better. That there
are evils and disadvantages attendant up
on the present supervisor system, is not
10 be disguised, but at the same time we
are hardly prepared to say positively that
a change viii work any radical cnre. 1t
would naturally seem that the County
business under the new plan, would be
done better more expeditiously and cheap
or than now, but then again all the towns
could not be represented upon the Board
of Commissioners, and the local interests
of the several towns of the county might
not then. perhaps, be as jealousy guarded
as they are at present. The new system
would certainly be less expensive than
the old one, and this is no small conside-
ration. Our taxes are enormous, and any
plan for lessening them in any degree,
Should be entitled to our favorable notice
Michigan, with population much greater
than our own, has not been required to
raise as much for State purposes, during
the past year, by nearly 100000, as Wis
consin. This is not as it should be, and
ANYTHING which shall serve to remedy to
ANY extent, the necessity for such excess
sye taxation, should be favorably receiv-
Cd.
Ge have heard no other argument, than
that of cost, urged against the Supervisor
Sv-tene. or in favor of the Commissioner
System
Let us examine tbs point. There are
in the Cort1ty Of Kenosba seven organized
Towns. besddesthe City of kenosha, which
nsakes eight Members of the County
Board. The law permits Convention
of fifteen days At two dollars a day
eacss. this would amount to two hundred
andforty dollars Say the mileage would
be fifteen INDIES TO each Member; and say
they held three sessions a year This
would make forty-three dollars and TWEEN
ty cents which, added to the other, would
make the aggregate only two hundred and
eightv-three dollars and twenty cents
Say the Board sat evenings, and appro-
priated half pay for this. This would
make one hundred and eighty dollars, or
four hundred and sixty-threc dollars and
twenty cents in all.
The legitimate cost of the County Gov
rrnment. as distinguished from the Com
missioner System, can only amount to
shis for this County, and we have put it
to the EXTREMIST point.
N'herl the Commissioner System" SO
called. IL referred to. of course some sys-
TEN wAidk is somewhere in practice, is
meant. IH 0hio and Pennsylvania three
Commissioners are chosen for each Coun-
" to hold for three years each. One Is
elected. and one goes out, each year. In
the CeaGtF xse ea8ae frola, the Board OF
Commissioners heiG stated meetings once
caoh month. and sometimes il would hold
seSs5en of from one to three days at each
CoHvenkiess. Suppose that system adopt
edhcrc; how much would be savedk Three
men meeting twelve times year, make
one hundred and eight days. Cali the
miLcagc the same AZ ia the other case,
and il would amount to one hundred and
twenty-nine dollars and sixty cents This
Ghirdtothe stipend, makes three hundred I
and forty-iige dollars. Here would be
only one hundred and fifteen dollars saved,
supposing the Supervisors to make all the
expense they can, S,sd the Commissioners
Ms little as they can. But one days ses-
sion at each meeting would not, and could
not answer. The sessions would be pro
longcd to two, three, four days, and even
a week. This would swell the expense
TO greater amount than the Supervisor
system. Besides, if the old plans are fol
lowed some one of the board would be
appointed as a sort of Acting Commits
sionersm who would spend all his time IN
the service of the County, while the 9th
erS would only meet with him at the reg
ular conventions. This would increase
the expense still more.
Take the States Of Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania as a guide, and we are certain the
Commissioner System is far more eNPen-
sive than the Supervisor system
Any one who knows anything about
the real workings of our system, knows
that the Supervisors watch the items oil
expense with almost parsimomous care
fllness. 1t is the universal complaint, all
over the State, by those having accounts
against the County, that they have to bat
tie hard to keep the Supervisors from
cutting down the prices too low.
Almost universally farmers, chosen
right from the heaviest of the taxpayers,
they are impressed with an abiding sense
of the necessity of the most rigid econo-
nav. And the idea that they are reckless
in their expenditures, cannot fora moment
heeRteFtaiRed by any one acquainted with
their general action.
BY being utterly nnacquainted, often
times with City and PFOfessionalcustoms
and prices. and relying upon afhdavits,
they may los, and are, sometimes eggre-
giously cheated. but these cases are so
rare that they do not deserve conside-