The Indianapolis journal., 1899-02-08
DOESN'T WANT REFORM,
And Thinks the Commission an Insult
to County and Township Officers.

to County and Township Officers.
| To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
| The township trustees of the State have
declared themselves in favor of the continu-
ance of the present plan of township gov
| ernment, with any needed improvements
necessary tc the public good and to the fur
| ther protection of the rights of the people.
! These same officers object to the meth
| DDS that have been employed to secure the
enactment of proposed reform laws and to
| the provisions of the bills introduced by the
reform commissioners. Why does a reform
commission exist in Indiana to-day? The
people directly affected by the commissions
measures have never asked for such an or
ganization, neither were they consulted as
to who should constitute its membership.
We are making history Shall the future
historian record that in the closing years
of the nineteenth century moral and polit-
ical corruption had become so widespread
and was so fostered by the law that a re-
form commission was necessary to correct
abuses and purify the moral and political
atmosphere? If such conditions exist,
where within the borders of the State can
be found men who have lived so far above
these communicating influences as to be
trusted with the great task of inaugural
ing the needed reformation? Would it not
appear presumptuous in those who should
offer themselves as properly qualified for
the work? Those of the county and town
ship officers in the State who have thought
fully considered the situation feel that the
organization of this reform commission was
an insult to themselves and to the intelli-
gence and integrity of the States citizen
! ship Indiana is generally considered to be
one of the best governed States in the
Union. There is but little township indebt-
edness No other plan of local government
has ever secured such uniformity in the
public school system nor produced results
so satisfactory. When our friends complain
of an increase in the rate of taxation do
they realize that we are putting up more
costly school buildings. putting in the build
ings better fixtures and apparatus, making
better bridges and miles of gravel and stone
roads? Is not the average farmer spending
much more for buildings and machinery
| than he did twenty years ago? Would
| these farmers be satisfied with the same
| quality of public improvements they had
quarter of a century ago? Public officials
are but keeping pace with the general pro-
gression, yet in our county the local taxes
have increased but little in twenty years.
Except for allowances to the poor, most
abuses of the trustees power freely
ferred to by the papers are of the past and
cannot exist to-day. The extravagant ex-
penditures of the past were usually for sup
plies supposed to be bought, and were paid
for by township warrants. These warrants
became commercial paper and the township
or some one else lost by these transactions
Now, no warrant is of any value until 1t
has been audited by the board of county
commissioners. The trustee cannot now go
into debt without announcing his intention
to the people of his township and then get
ting the consent of the commissioners.
1t is contended that these reform meas
ures will give publicity to the action of
public officers. Do we not now have a law
providing for the publication of trustees
annual reports? Are not their account
books public property, subject to inspection
by the citizens at all times? Are not all
the trustees public actions inspected and
audited by the county commissioners?
What more publicity is needed?
AS to the proposed advisory board. Since
there Is but little compensation for the
members of the board, how long would it
be, under the provisions of this bill, before
men skilled IN the art Of n getting salaries aries
and secure the places for their own per-
sonal interests? This refers only to the
corrupt localities of which we hear. How
can responsibility be located when shared
by many? 1t is easily shifted from one to
another 1t is now an easy matter to To-
cate any dishonest practices of trustee,
and quite easy to have him removed
from his office. The trustee is not an auto
crat in any true sense. His tax leVieS and
his expenditures are all concurred in by the
board of county commissioners. Save in
the poor fund the township trustee levies
towns, and, almost without exception, the
rate is lower in the townships than in towns
and cities. The township IS dlstlnct ana
individual corporation. l mention this be-
cause many erroneous opinions prevail for
want of knowledge in regard to the rela-
tion of towns and townships as 10 the power
of trustees The township government Is
the cheapest local government we have, and
the most economically administered why
not try to save the people of the towns ana
cities from their condition? Their taxes are
higher. Why not offer them relief?
One of the worst features of the reform
commissions bill is the effect as law, II
will have upon the character or quality or
the local public service. The trustee can
only ask permission of the advisory board
TO do what in his opinion ought TO be done
and await their instruction. The trustee
takes interest in planning his work for
he knows not what he will be permitted to
do. He indfferently fultlls the letter OF the
law, feeling that he possesses in his official
character all the dignity of one serving an
apprenticeship under taskmaster. The
only interesting time the trustee can make
for the board is when a majority OF them
have relatives or friends for whom they
want schools. What a supply of relation
ship might be presented from which to
among the members of the board as TO
which should get the greatest amount OF
public benefits for his particular locality
the trustee might umpire for them and
thus relieve the monotony of his position.
Letting all contracts by public bidding
would have a tendency to centralize the
public business of the State. If the letter
of the law were followed out materials and
supplies for townships would soon be fur
nished by the large corporations of the pop
ulous centers. 1t does seem to me that
small amount of State pride would be suf-
ficient to call from the people a protest
government. did they fully understand its
provisions and the possible results of its
workings. r. {. SHERRICK.
westfield, Ind, Feb 6.
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