The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1912-12-12
IN The INTEREST OF TOWN
ship ORGANIZATION.

| The Tribune is pleased to pup
| lish the following timely sugses-
| lions regarding the amendment Oh
the present township law. Mr. Ed
son acted as secretary at the yaTl-
Gus meetings held by the supervls-
ors during the summer. and also
of the committees upon whom de-
volved the preparation OF the a.
mendments and recommendations &c
be submitted to the legislature this
winter.
Editor Lynden Tribune:
That the existing laws governing
township organization are quite IN
ADEQUATE has become so apparent
since they came into operation lha'
revision of those statutes by the
coming Legislature seems very heces-
sary. This appears to be the al
most unanimous opinion OF town
ship officers throughout Nhalcom
county.
With a view to determining III
what particulars these laws shouid
be amended, series OF meetings
have been held in Bellingham DUR
ing the past summer by the super
visors OF the various townships OF
the county. AS result OF these
conferences certain proposed a
mendments have been agreed upon.
which are recommended for consid-
Grafton by the coming legislature.
1t is believed that these changes
would materially improve the ex-
listing law. The following is the
substance of the proposed amend
ments:
To give to townships authority
to make and enforce bylaws Tor
the preservation of peace and good
order; to license peddlars, auc-
tioneers, shows, places OF amus7-
1nent, etc.
To have control of the laying Of
car tracks, gas and water pipes, the
construction of telegraph, telephone
electric light and transmission lines
upon the public highways.
To acquire by condemnation land
containing pits OF gravel or stone
needed for road construction.
Giving township supervisors pow
er to prohibit improper use or &C.
cupation of public highways and
bridges.
Changing the place of holding
township road meetings from the
the county engineers office, TO such
places as the supervisors shall des-
ignate
Providing that the county audi
Tor in procuring the township
printing and binding, shall call for
bids on printing and on binding sep
arately-not Jumped together in
one bid.
Fixing the amount of the town
ship treasurer's bond at sum
double the probable amount of mon
ely to be in his hands at any one
time, instead of double the aggre-
gate amount which he will hand
le, as at present.
Providing that the township
treasurer may designate some bank
as a depository of township funds
ON condition that such bank agree
to pay the township two per cent
interest upon average daily cash
balances, and that it furnish the
an indemnity bond.
Providing that in emergencies
teams belonging to a township Of
fcer may be employed by the town
slip, or an officer may be employ
ed as a day laborer.
Eliminating the provision calling
in the justice of the peace 10 act
IN the place of an absent supervis-
or for the purpose of auditing ac-
counts.
Providing that bills against a
township, before being allowed, must
- hT the town
ship office who received the goods
or superintended the service for
which payment is claimed in such
bill; whereas. at present, such GER
LITIGATION is required only from the
claimant, who almost invaria bly, neg
lects the required oath, necessitat-
ing returning his bill.
Giving township treasurers as
their official compensation one per
cent of moneys received from the
county treasurer and one per cent
CT moneys paid out in the reception
of warrants, in lieu of the present
ambiguous two per cent for "receiv-
ing and paying over" all moneys
paid into the town treasury.
Giving township boards full au-
thority to review all assessments
and eliminating the special priv
lege to non-residents of appealing
to the county board of equalization.
Changing the limit for the road
tax levy from five mills TO eight
mills.
Providing that newly organized
townships, instead of being left
without funds for their first year
of existence, shall be entitled to
draw from the county treasury 25
per cent of their road and bridge
levy and sl00 for current expenses.
Reducing the salaries Of county
commissioners in counties having
township organization to one-third
the present amount.
Another amendment which might
well be added to the above, is one
permitting the transfer of any I'M
expended balance in the general
fund to the road fund. In fact, II
would be a great convenience TO
lave these two funds consolidated
into one 1t is hard to find any val
id objection to the plan.
4