The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-08-07
PUTNAM PRESENTS
co. COURTS ATTITUDE

Editor Glacier In the recall nett
tlon at present being circulated, there
are certain items of expenditure
brought forward as justfying the re-
call Of the county Judge and commits
sioners, as follows:
Ia On the 7th day of February.
1918, the said Judge and commissioners
appointed c. K, Marshall road master
of Hood River county, Oregon, for one
year, at a salary of IS per day, and
from 81. 80 to $3.50 per day for the use
of his automobile while working for
the county as road master. (The rec
ord shows that c. X. Marshall was
paid $40 for inspecting Tucker bridge,
S33.S5 for viewing roads. S47l. .25 for
services and automobile as road master
in five months, no bills being itemized
ard no salary for the month of July in
cluded. J"
The report of the road master to the
county court-which will be published
in few days-will show the necessity
for the appointment of road master
and for a different method of dealing
with road matters in Hood River coun-
ty.
The pay of the road master is S5 per
day, while working. and he is allowed
$3.50 for the use of his automobile
when actually employed. A horse and
buggy would cost more and could not
cover one-third the territory.
The payment of $40 for inspecting
Tucker bridge is payment made to
Mr.. Marshall for his services as super
intendent of construction for the coun-
ty, last autumn long before his ap-
pointment as road master. The 1913. IS
for viewing roads was a payment for
his services as member of the board
of county road viewers, in viewing
roads petitioned to be opened, and is
mandatory by statute. During the first
half of this year S404.l2 was paid for
viewing and plating such roads, to the
viewers and chainmen.
The payment of SAT-. 26 was made up
as follows: Hire of auto by county
cours while inspecting roads, SSl %.
Salary road master aud auto AL
lowance, period Feb. 6, May 81. 1913,
20 days, $2l7.50. Same for June %
days, Sl72.50 Total S47l.25.
"(b) $3.50 for oiling roads" This
expenditure was necessary if the county
intends to maintain expensive roads
already built. The oiling covered a
greater stretch of road and was very
much better applied than last year.
The expenditure of $ll.30 by the
county judge in attending the commits
sioners convention at Portland in Jan
uary, 1913, was too evidently proper to
require explanation or justification,
here.
"(c) Allowing and paying unitem-
lied bills against the county,
This charge is too vague-it would
lead the ordinary reader to believe
that the county court are in the habit
of paying all bills without due consid-
Grafton and without proper care to
| ascertain their correctness which is
not the case. The members of the
county court have exercised the utmost
care in keeping down expenditure.
They fully realize that the system of
keeping accounts especially in road
matters leaves much to be desired,
and they have had the question of
change in the rendering of the road
accounts under serious consideration,
but, as new system was provided fof
by the last Legislature for general use
throughout the state and which is to
come into force in 1914, they deferred
any present action.
(d) The statement that IL days is
sufficient to attend to the county's s
affairs during a period of six months,
| is absurd. The members of the court
have devoted the least possible time to
county business compatible with eff
cent administration.
To conclude, il would appear that
the principal cause of dissatisfaction is
the employment by the county court OF
road master. following the recon-
mendation of grand jury. and the
decision on the part of the county
| Judge and commissioners that such ar
appointment would be advantageous t
the county.
1t may be stated in reference to this
appointment that the only protes
against the retention Of Mr.. Marshall'l
services received by the court was {
letter from Mr.. Samuel Stark.
John X. Putnam.