The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1869-11-11
The Supervisor System.
Fiom the Davenport Gazette, 9th In

FiUm the Davenport Gazette Wh inst
1t has not escaped the observation Of
thoughtful persons that the Supervisor
system in entirely too cumbrous aud
expensive, and if continued will be re.
cosnizcd as serious evil These
"Young Legislatures" as we have often
heard them termed. from tho manner
WANNA, ,neIr iIeiI.>>-- ,
are apt to contain men who feel them
solved obliged to represent a particular
constituency, and often, In COM
mending themselves to II few score OF
voters at home, they are dealing deadly
blows Mt the great interests Of the coun.
ty.
A striking exemplilication OF this can
be seen in the distribution Of the
bridge Fund.-" Let the fund be small
or great, let the wants of the whole
county be what they may, in regard to
the erection Of particular structure,
every township must have share, and
the shrewdest manager will get the most
in proportion to his constituency. The
true plan and the only one which has
been successful, is for county expendi-
lures I" be put upon the most catholic
basis, and the resources SO applied Mt to
produce permanent Improvements,
which shall inure to the benefit Of tho
whole county.
What boots it to have fine stone and
iron bridges, twenty miles from Daven-
port, Muscatine, Dubuque or Burling-
ton, when just out Of town there IRE half
dozen kept in rickcty and unsafe
condition, because appropriations cam
not be made without impinging upon
imagined rights of townships in
the interior, which conceive they have
interests in antagonism with those Of
the city:
Itwould seem clear that a Board of
Supervisors should be much smaller
body, not to exceed five or seven in
number, in the largest counties, to be
elected by districts upon Il population
basis, to he classified so that Il portion
shall 80 out every year, to sit at least
once 4 moath. and to he paid properly.
This would make It a strong executive
committee for the county, the very
thing We want, and in the hands OF
honest men, the county expenditures
would he more satisfactory. 1t was
never intended that the Board Of Su.
pervlsorr should I've the arena of debate
rather the field of action.
AS modification of the Supervisor
rystem is 40 new thing for the gazette
to advocate, We shall be content ut pres
cnt in calling the attention Of one of
the contemporary press. The Burling.
ton Ud,ck- Eye has the following to say
in late issue:
There il good deal Of fault found
with our County Supervisor system. 1t
Is cumbersome, expensive, and incffi-
cicnt. The Boards are too large. Few.
er men would do tie business quicker,
better, and cheaper. II the law were 60
modified az to give every county no less
than three nor more than five Supervi-
s"rs, apportioned among the townships
cold!ng to populat Oh, We believe II
would give better satisfaction than it
does now. Or it might bc 80 changed
as to regulate the members according to
population, in the larger counties Civ
ing one Supervisor, say, to every five
thousand inhabitants; and three to all
having less than five thousand. The
counties in both c,lses to he districtcd
and the representative system retain
ed -.
.. 1--WE make these Suggestions for the
purpose of inviting attention to this sub
ject. We shall be glad to hear from
those having experience on this point
or any ether connected With county
-c"e! nn!rEt