The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-11

people of the township is perhaps the size
of our congressional townships and the dlffl-
Guilty of voters getting together in one
meeting on account of the distance to be
Travelled. These objections might be met by
providing rs; smaller political unit than the the
Vided and the public meeting of the people
in each subdivision might fix the tax rate
for its own locality 1t may be possible to
devise a representative system for town
ship government Instead of a town meet
ing. At first thought it would seem that
this would be too elaborate and expensive
for most, if not all, townships.
The executive head of the township, the
trustee. should make all contracts for the
expenditure OF appropriations made by the
town meeting. He would, however be
strictly limited in his power to incur liabil-
ity by the approximations made for the var
iouS township purposes The string to the
township purse would be held by the people
themselves
should be introduced into township affairs
is that the custody of funds should be
rom him ubo IAN 5b OF rsbi te raw mon
the fund. Therefore the trustee should have
no funds in his cuSto 1y. All township funds
should be placed either in the hands of
the county treasurer or possibly, of the
township treasurer, to be paid out accord
ing to law. This principle has long been
observed in state and county organization.
Its application to the township would abol-
ish a large list of abuses. This principle,
as well as other considerations ought like
wise to secure the abolition of the payment
or road taxes by day labor. All taxes should
be paid in money pursuant to general as
sessment The working-out of road taxes,
suitable and necessary, perhaps, in pioneer
days, has long since ceased to be useful,
and become notorious source of fraud and
Another troublesome question in connec-
tlon with the township government is the
relation of city to a township This, how
to be settled by practical consideration.
In reorganizng township government, no
scheme would be complete which did not
improve the office of justice of the peace so
as to relieve it of the odium attaching to
fees conditioned on the result of the case
This evil is manifest in justices of the peace
holding office in cities and large towns, If
not in country districts. Another question
in reforming township government is,
whether some of the functions of our pres
ent townships might not economically and
for business reasons be surrendered to the
county government This, however, is a
detail. To unduly centralize the care of
roads, the appointment of teachers and the
relief of the poor in the county government,
while promising greater efficiency is con-
trary to the American theory of local self
government. Yet, is it not possible that
eminent, such as has been proposed, the
people would have more confidence in 1t?
NaturaIiy we are jealous OF TURNER ri ,, m
commissioners. as at present constituted
yet: If the finances of the county, the purse,
as it were, were in the hands of a popular
representative body, county council such
as has been suggested, would not the peo-
pie be willing and satisfied to intrust to
which at present are withheld and retained
in the various townships?
1t seems to the writer that these reforms
need not be forced upon the people of any
township. The question should be submitted
to the vote of each particular township ds
to whether or not it would adopt the new
form of township government. 1t might
happen that some townships in a county
would be governed by the new plan and
others by the old, depending on the particu-
lar circumstances and views of the people
of the respective townships. Yet it is be-
lieved that all this could be arranged by
suitable, legislation as to work without
friction.
Whether the suggestions for county and
township reform which | have submitted
are thought we'll of or not, it is certain that
the present machinery of our local govern
ment Is mentioned by students of local gov
eminent existing in the various states in
the Union as being crude and imperfect.
Nor do need the instruction of trained
scholars to advise us that the business of
our counties and townships is not lSfac
torily conducted. The point insisted upon
is that our system is wrong and be inn
proved so that the very men who now hold
these local offices would themselves be
enabled and required to give better and
more economical administration of the pub
lie business. The fault is by no means all
with the officer himself; it lies to large
extent in the laws governing him.
The next article will deal with the gov
eminent of cities and towns.
AUGUSTUS L. MASON,
Chairman Committee on Municipal Affairs,
Indiana State Board OF Commerce.