The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-06-05
AN OPEN letter
TO {. G. WARREN

clerk, notify him by letter.
Quoting you further: IF the re.
ports from your clerk and treasurer
are not sent to this Office as required
by law"
There is ample provisions in the
remedial part Of the law in case an
officer refuses to do his duty. No one
will blame you for the faults of an
other officer.
Instructing School Officers.
You seem to be over-anxious to Wis
it and instruct school officers. The
school law (1911) page 13, Sec. %,
provides, under duties of county sup
erintendent, viz: "He shall convene
the members and clerks of the school
boards in his county +for the
purpose of discussing plans and meth
DDS for improvements and general
care of the schools"
This is the plan or method by which
to instruct and caution the officers as
to their duties. Again school officers
are paid to do their own work. If any
one does not understand his duties
and requests your assistance, notify
him to bring his books, at his leisure,
to your Office, where the Office deputy
can enllghten him.
Expense Account.
You complain because the states
attorney and commissioners think
that $17,667.50 is too much expense
for 20 months-$128 to each township
per annum. Persons claiming to be
authority represent that the average
distance from Minot to the center of
every township in Ward Co., is 80
miles. That is ga miles for the round
trip. have not estimated it but from
the fact that 32 miles NJ, S., E. or w.
from Minot would take you out of the
county l suspect the calculation ap-
proximately correct. Then locating
schools in every township on the
IA corners between sections and II,
10 and II, % and 20, % and 26, an
additional 10 miles would be required
making "a miles to the round trip. At
1Oc per mile would make an average
of $74O per trip. There are 81 town.
ships in the county. Then considering
the consolidated schools, and 10 cents
per mile on railroads leaves surplus
of 1-2 cents per mile, and the fact
that schools in more than one town
ship may be visited on the same trip,
the product Of the average cost per
trip and number of townships ought
to be the cast ($421sO) of visiting all
of the schools in the county one time.
Again suppose the county should
make you present of $4OO team
and $10O buggy every year, then allow
you $3.50 feed bill daily, could you ask
for more? This plan would save &c.
900 per annum over your account.
Again suppose the county should
make you present of $500 auto ev-
cry year and allow you So per day ex-
pense, then they would save $500
per annum over your claims. How
can you blame the taxpayers for ap-
plauding the county attorney and
commissioners for what they are do
ing?
Reducing Office Force.
You say the commissioners threat
en- to take your stenographer away
and quoting your own words: "ln
this event your letters addressed to
this Office will probably not be ans
wered"
If your Office was properly organ
lied one deputy and one stenographer
would be sufficient. An investigation
in the older settled states will prove
that this is actually done. am not
without experience which would re-
quire close study of the workings of
the county superintendent official
duties. Hence I am not doing guess
work when l make the assertion.
Cut out the permits. Stop the use
of 9Th grade pupils for teachers. Use
your lecturers on the development Of
"From the crude to the finished pro-
duct" when the law contemplates your
visiting the schools. Require every
school officer to do his duty Recog-
nize the teachers as co-laborers, Civ
ing them the privilege of voting for
all the officers of their monthly insti-
tutes thus raising the dignity and self
confidence of the profession As
Roosevelt and Bryan would say: "give
the people the power that is theirs"
The law of 1913 making the county
superintendent vice president of the
board of health only allows cents
per mile for distance actually and nee
essarily travelled. Now, according to
to your argument, you will be unable
to do this work on account Of the so
per cent reduction.
In constituting the law harmonic
the spirit and letter of the law and
keep the welfare of the taxpayer
economy-in view all the while. Cut
out the auto livery business unless to
save expense to the county. That is,
stop renting an auto by yourself and
deputies, from yourself, to yourself
and deputies. All of your attention
belongs to the school work. Too much
socialism between you and yourself
and not enough competition.
Call the Issue.
Now, if | understand your position