The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-30

TO the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
favor any reform that reforms In
Howard county there is probably as salts
factory management as in any county in the
state, so | speak from our standpoint The
law makes the county board audit the ac-
counts Of the county auditors and treasurers
each three months, and forbids any claim
TO be paid by county treasurers issued by
the auditor or allowed by the commissioners
unless the claim is filed with the auditor
and docketed at least five days before the
first day of the term so any one Directing
may object if they wish. No one has sought
to object in this county so far. This is the
law of 1897.
Now, as to the unlimited power of town
ship trustees to levy taxes and pay them
out. Many don't seem to know what the law
Is In 1897 1t was exacted, by what was called
the Senate Duncan bill, that prior to a trus-
tee paying any expenses, past, present or
prospective, he must first issue a township
order therefor and meet the county com
mlSsloners in session, and the commission
efS must lndorSe their names and approval
upon every township order before it can be
leSally pald by the trustee, so the trustee
cannot spend one cent without such super
vision and process; he cannot even buV a
broom FOR a schoolhouse. The board of COM
hlSsiohers must meet as such auditing board
on the first Tuesday of each month, and the
trustees must meet with them on such DAVIS
whether they have any such business or not
Ihat is the construction of said act given
6y the ex-attorney-g general and scrupuously
followed by our county attorney commits
sioners and civil trustees.
On township, road and dog funds trls-
tees must make sworn reports to the board
OF commissioners in March of each year.
accompanied by vouchers for each item
trustees must publish in a public news
paper such reports, so that each taxpayer or
other person may know what the items and
aggregate of receipts and expenditures are
and the balances. A like report of school
trustees of townships. towns and cities must
pc made to and approved by the county
noarQ IN August in each year. How Is all
this for supervision and unlimited power of
trustees? They cannot make township or
road tax levies except with the concurrence
of the county board
There are ,016 townships, and the pending
measure adds five advisers i'm EACH town.
sh1p-5O@ new township officers at s. each
$25, 400; then the county council one from
each township, and additional ones based
on population say fifteen in each of the
ninety-two counties, at $40 each per annum
amounting TO about $4,000. This makes the
aggregate of these additional officers com
pensatlon about $4,000 per annum in the
name OF reform. Theorists may think this
necessary, but practical men think the bill
should be greatly improved
More supervision should. / think, be au-
thorlzed on the school trustees of cities and
towns, on their expenditures and reports
but get men who have thorough under
standing of the present system to assist in
amending | don't offer myself. Would
the Journal advise county advisory board
for the theorists who framed this bill or for
the members of the Legislature? Do it's
ardent supporters advocate any reform in
printers fees or allowances by courts?
simply want to know why stop suddenly
with township and county officers?
MILTON GARRIGUS.
Kokomo, Ind, Jan. 2S.