The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1909-03-25
What's the Matter with Stanley
County?

ton that exists in governmental
affairs IN this county. Every.
thing connected with the county
government. and more especially
with township, town, ana schoo
district government seems to be iI
hopeless state OF confusion. Fo,
this state OF affairs we do not de.
sire to place the blame on anyone
IN particular. Indeed. we are in.
cllued 70 believe that the blame
rests with everyone. including
otnclals and all the voters AS well.
And more than likely. the whole
trouble grows out OF the peculiar
social and economic conditions
existing here. rather than the
shortcomings OF any individual or
set Of individuals. At any rate it
is Our desire to anal yze conditions
rather than criticize men. We de-
sire TO speak plainly. and trust
that in SO doing. no over-sensitiye
soul is wounded.
In the first place then. what is
the matter! To begin with the
schooi districts. Although we
have, and have had for sometime
an efficient and commendable coun-
ty supervision, with few excep-
tons, the local supervision and
direction amounts to very little.
Boards of directors do not hold
meetings, make levies. secure ade
quate buildings, or perform very
many Of the tasks imposed upon
them by statute. What they do
accomplish, is accomplished under
the immediate direction of the
county superintendent. Left alone
they are apparently helpless.
Fortunately the condition is i'm
proving, and ultimately the peo-
pie viii get their schools in hand.
Some districts are much better Oft
than others in this regard. In the
villages, for example, little criti-
clsm can be made. In two coun-
try districts that the writer recalls,
the members of the board have all
spent the winter in counties east
Of the river. Under such circum-
stances, if any problems of super
vision come up, they are unloaded
on the shoulders Of the country
superintendent.
In about two thirds of the or
ganizcd townships no annual cleo
lions were held this year. In
many nothing has been done since
the day the county commissioners
effected a temporary organization
BY aproi ting a board of town.
ship supervisors. These townships
have no assessors, no treasurers tC
take charge II funds if they eve,
receive any, and no road super.
vision of any kind In the course
Of time many Of these organiza.
tons will become defunct, and the
territory embraced pass under
county supervision again.
In none of the organized town
ships are any lists of road Dol
taxes made. Instead of ASSESSING
that and collecting it as labor OF
the township roads, the county i.
allowed to assess and collect it a.
personal tax, credit it to the roat
and bridge fund. and expend i,
wherever the county pleases. The
pol! tax that should thus, under ,
township organization, be retained
IN that township, may 90 into .
distant part Of the county.
In all the townships of the coun
ty. possibly only two or three
made a levy of taxes for town
ship purposes at the annual cleo
tion this year as is required b,
law. Most people seem to labor
under the impression that take.
can be levied and collected in thu
same free and easy fashion that i.
usually adopted in other function.
Of local government. But tai
statutes are always strictly con
strued, and levies and assessments
must be made according to law
Where levies are not made in thu
townships. the county auditor O,
the commissioners usually attempt
to make levy for the township
This works all right with the aver
age tax x-payer because he know,
nothing Of the manner in which
the levy is made and does not in.