The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1913-11-29
A WORD TO THE NEW COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS

THIS County now passes lnto the Gun
troll of a new Board of County Comuis-
sioners. Messrs. Blake and Watts. who
constitute the majority of that Board
are good citizens, good neighbors, gen
tlemen of probity and high character, IN
every respect. 1T remains to be seen
whether they possess the capacity ,ex-
perience and firmness TO make good pub
lie servants. If essrs. Blake and Watts
are conscientiously DESTROYS of adm mis-
tering the affairs OF this county in the
most efficient and b. siness like manner,
then let us say to them frankly their
work is cut out for them OF course,
they can shirk it, can just go along
holding down the job and drawing their
pay, while the people of the county con-
tinue to ask what's the use of Com
missioners anyhow" But if these gen.
tlemen realize that they are the Gus
todians of the countys affairs and II
they should go at the job that way, then
there is chance for them to make
record and for the county to get some
service.
And let us say to these new Commits
sioners right here and now that the
first thing they need to know is WHAT
THEY HAVE TO ADMlNjlSTRATE.
County Commissioners in this county do
not know that because their Office is
not able to furnish them the informa-
ton. 1t is common talk amongst bust
ness men who have dealings with the
Commissioners office that the DOCK
keeping df there can be sad 10 be any
such thing as bookkeeping is most
pitiful exhibition of slip-shod methods
and would not be tolerated in any half
decently conducted private business con-
Germ. That office disbursed last year
over $3.50, 100000 and its accounting de-
partment is not worthy of corner gro
Gerry. The very first thing a set of com
missioners, taking new charge of so
large a business enterprise ought TO de-
mand, is the production of the books,
that they may familiariZe themselves
with the status of the business. NOW,
if they make such a demand and sue
coed in getting anything like what they
ought to WANT to know and OUGHT
to know, then they will have succeeded
in getting something nobody else mas
ever been able TO get. And if they can
not get it, then as the county's ofhclal
guardians, they ought to insist on the
establishment of a system OF bookkeep-
ing and accounting that has in 1t some
business sense and principles. The pres
ent system ought not to be tolerated
any longer by great, rich. enlightened
county, like Cecil.
Another matter to which we want ~
call the attention of the new Board, very
promptly is that of Their legal adviser
These gentlemen will do we'll to go care
fully into this matter for their oWH
personal protection, as well as for the
conserving of the r3untys interests. The
wonder grows in our mind that some
one does NOT institute taxpayers suit
against the County Commissioners, IN
person for the recovery of funds which
they pay out, not only without warrant
of law but in actual defiance of law. We
can easily name instances in the recent
County Statement, showing how the
Commissioners have been disburslng
funds in plain violation of the law, for
which disbursements, we claim, they
could be held personally liable. We
would think any set OF commissioners
would want to avoid such dangers, and
would want their legal adviser to steer
them clear thereof.
But this matter of counsel to the
Commissioners is something which more
deeply concerns the countys interests
than it does the Commissioners personal
security. Right here in fact lies much
of the reason for so much popular de-
mand for doing away entirely with the
office of counsel 20 the Commissioners.
If the Commissioners would confne
themselves to the payment of the salary
fixed by law for said counsel and If it
could be shown that the office of said
counsel was valuable to the county's in
terests. there would naturally be no de-
mand for its abolition. This is where
the matter must be put up to the Com
missioners themselves. Unless they
show themselves wise and strong enough
to insist on getting the right sort of an
attorney and to insist on that attorney S
efficiently perfCrmng his duties for
which his office is creaIed; unless, we
say, they do THIS, then there is going
to continue to be demand for abolish
ing the Office entirely.
These are some OF the prime matters
that the new Board of Commissioners
must face in the very beginning of their
administration and which they must
solve satisfactorily if their admnistra-
ton is to be success.