Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-03-17
Emerson Asks Information.
IRONToN. March 18th, 1898

1hONIONs ZIuB 1000
Ed. Register-While congratulating
you as printer, and the County Clerk
as compiler, of the statement of IRE,
ceipts and Expenditures of Iron County
| for 1897" there are a few items which
| would like to see more fully explain
ed, viz:
"Inquest fees for f We years, $40. O4 ;
How does it come that, with money al
ways in the treasury, these fees have
been allowed to accumulate for fUt
yearsP
Secondly. is there any clear need
that ''inquests" should be held in this
peaceful little county, running up fees
to that extent?
The item: Warrants and jury
scrip paid over and above amount is
sued, $41I.71." How did this come to
be paid if not '.'issued?"
Then / notice an item of amount
paid for .'taking J. Craig to asylum,
800" Is there any real necessity for
paying 800 for taking one insane
person to the asylum? Please explain
it, as the editor is expected to know
everything.
Another matter comes in the nature
of a protest, rather than inquiry. 1t
relates to the expenditure for salaries
of "roadoverseers. l have noticed
this growing evil for a number of
years.
In figuring up the amount paid
.'roadoverseers" for 1898, it foots up
to 1898; in round numbers, $500! This
seems to me to be altogether beyond
the reasonable, decent thing. / notice
that the overseer of the Arcadia dis
trict has been paid the modest little
salary of $279M The taxpayers who
will read this, and who have had to
travel over the lily repaired and
wretchedly drained roads = growing
worse under present management
will be amazed.
Many others have been paid $4,000
eachS others $50 and $40, down to the
nominal and modest little old-fashioned
salary OF 1928; and this charge by
that honest fellow, Charley Polk, who
evidently don't hold the "office for
revenue" He is entitled to the more
dignified title, which is his, of Captain
c. X. Polk.
The time was, in this State, when
salaries" to rOadoverseers were I'M
known. 1t was unknown in all the
States in olden time, and the best men
in each community were willing and
glad to act as ''road masters" without
other compensation than their own
part in the work. And it is my opin-
ion that our County Court could find
competent men in every county district
who would act, without salary, out of
pride in good roads. 1t should be I'M
derstood in such cases that the Court
would apply an amount equal to the
salary, to be expended extra. on the
road in the district. Everybody wants
good roads, and should strive by ev-
cry possible means to improve them.
If the Court could apply an extra sum
of eight or nine hundred dollars to
road Improvement, Instead of paying
it in salaries to overseers for looking
after the roads near their own homes
in which they are personally interest
ed, it would soon tell in improved
roads. If the law is at fault, it should
be repealed or amended. Nothing of
this extravagant character was ever
known until recently in our State.
Probably two millions dollars year
is paid in this State for salaries" of
"roadoverseers, and it is time a re-
form were agitated throughout the
State on this subject. If every com
petent man in each district who is |
willing to serve as overseer without |
salary, on condition that an amount
equal to the salary should be approprl-
ated by the Court for road improve
nent in his district. would report to |
the Court at the term when appoint
neuts are made, it might inaugurate a
very wholesome reform EMERSON.