The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-22
LEGISLATORS FAVOR 1T.
Senator Gilbert and others Believe in
Township Reform.


Township Reform.
| One day last week Senator Newton W.
Gilbert, of Angola. seeking to get an opin-
ion from his constituents as to new methods
in transacting county and township business.
called a meeting of the trustees of Steuben
county and laid before them his views on
| this important question. He was very much
| gratifed to learn there was no difference of
| opinion between him and the trustees. With
| this force behind him, and that of the peo-
| pie in whom he is directly interested ne
| favors the plan that has been outlined by
| the commission having the preparation of
plans along this line in charge
He says that he may differ as to some of
| the details, but he is with the commission
| IN changing the fundamental principles that
! underlie county and township government.
He does not mean by that a doing away
with the offices of county commissioners and
| township trustees, but an exact definition of
their powers and duties that will bring
about clear and uniform operation of laws
relative to county and township affairs.
1.-THE great trouble we now have" Sena-
| tor Gilbert continued, ''arises from the con-
| fusion of executive, judicial and legislative
powers resting in the same bodies. The
| county commissioners have almost absolute
| power; power to do as they please and that
of the township trustees is no less in scope
and degree. What we should do is to sep
arate these three lines of duty and take
from the commissioners and trustees any
| thing like a judicial or legislative power
| l have been reading recently Towards Local
| History of the United States. That opened
my eyes to the many evils existing in our
| form of county and township government.
| 1t was somewhat of revelation to me, es-
pecially as Howard stated that Of all forms
| of government of this kind that i'm existence
| In Indiana was the worst. 1t followed the
Pennsylvania plan, which he regarded as
| very bad, it being divergence, as in many
States, from the old system in England
| from which country we get our ideas of
! county and township government. Thus /
| believe that the evils of which we complain
| bad officers. l do not think there is cor
| ruptton or dishonesty by the wholesale in
Indiana, but under the system we pursue
there cannot be anything else but reckless
ness, waste and a disregard of economical
methods These evils are but the result
of bad precedent, and not of dishonesty or
can be overcome by complete separation of
| the judicial. legislative and executive powers
| of the county commissioners and town.
! ship trustees. leaving to these officers sole
| ~ executive function. This separation of
powers should be as well defined and as
strict as that we follow III our State af-
fairs.
During the last campaign in our county.
Increase of taxation was one of the issues.
| The county has always been Republican,
/ and the large expenditures for the new
courthouse. roads and bridges had been met
and the county relieved of that burden.
There was no excuse for increasing taxation;
on the other hand, there was every reason
| TO expect a reduction of the tax levy, but
| the charge was so troublesome with our
campaign affairs that / spent several days
| in investigating the subject | found that
| while the county tax was lessened in n
small measure the State tax had increased
| slightly, and the township tax enormously.
| There was no condition iustifyng this eX-
cept lax method of conducting township af-
| fairs. / found the increase due to in
| creased expenditures for charity, road re-
| pairs and school supplies three of the
sources of large expenditures of which the
! people are complaining. To remedy this.
| I repeat that / see no other way than that
outlined in the formation of county and
| township councils. that shall have power to
| levy tax and make appropriations TO meet
| the demand for county and township ex-
penses. 1t has been stated that / am OPP
| | am heartily in favor of 1t. l would OBJ
| ject to increasing the number of officers
| with compensation, but II is proposed TO
/ give such officers only nominal compensa-
ticn or none at all, l think that objection
| is fully met"
Representative L. L. Neal. of Hamilton
| county, favors the movement toward re-
| forming county and township affairs. He
will give any measure not contemplating a
radical change In the system as we now have
| II his support. His people uphold him in
| that position. but he does not believe that
| they would consent to much greater modi-
| fication of the present laws than will take
| from the county commissioners and trustees
their legislative functions. lie and his con-
stituents are very much interested in what
| is being done, and feel that out OF the agi-
tation there should come very marked bet