Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-05-14
JOE SMITH ON BLIGHT
COMMISSIONER ADDS ADDITION
AL INFORMATION ION BLIGHT
EXPENSES.

County Commissioner Joe Smith of
Rogueriver was in Ashland yesterday
affording the people an opportunity
to interrogate him in regard to the
public business of Jackson county.
Commissioner Smith was asked if he
had anything to state in regard to
the Madden campaign being made to
replace him as the republican nomi-
nee.
II am not starting anything
against Mr.. Madden, and as | have
lived in the county for many years
and many people in all sections are
acquainted with me, / believe there
are enough people to refute any of
the statements that might be launch
ed. The fact that | never drank
liquor all my life is sufficient to
refute the attempt of the Medford
Sun to besmirch my candidacy in this
regard. 1t fell so flat in Medford
and all over the county that Mr.. Mad
den himself personally expressed to
me his regrets and apologized on be-
half of his misguided friends.
Il think the published statements
concerning county matters set forth
the situation fairly concerning the
blight eradication campaign. The
blight campaign is not entirely in the
control of the county court. The state
law gives the district horticultural
commissioner, A. II. Carson, a great
deal of authority. For example, had
the county court turned down flat the
petition of F. H. Madden representing
the fruit growers for the employing
of twenty inspectors to reduce the
blight infection, Commissioner Car
son informed us that he would have
placed them in the orchards of Jack
son county with axes in hand and
put them to work, which he has the
legal right to do. The county court
placed the number at eleven and
Commissioner Carson accepted that
number as courtesy to the members
! of the county court The counts
court was using its judgment in the
matter and since the blight campaign
is now drawing to close ! believe
! our judgment was correct.
The remaining issue is that of the
compensation of the blight inspectors.
! The law directs the compensation
shall be SO per day and his actual
necessary expenses incurred in the
| performance of his duties The in
spectors are appointed by Commits
| sioner Carson, to whom the bills go
for approval before the county court
issues the warrant. We first followed
the system of vouchering the expense
account and this averaged much high
er than the county commissioners
thought it should. and in order to
keep down that expense the court re-
duced the expense account to flat
rate of 50 per day. 1t had averaged
something like 81 or So per day on
the voucher plan Commissioner Car
son complimented the court on the
change reducing the expense account.
In fact, Commissioner Carson re-
moved one of the inspectors on ac-
count of his vouchered expense ac-
count. We have tried both plans
with the above result. The law COM
pels the work to be done. the best
interests of the county require it. the
county court has kept down the re-
guests of the fruit growers where in
its judgment it could be done with
safety, and 1t has reduced the expense
account by making it's Interpretation
of the section. We have done the best
our judgment distates without injur-
ing the service
[Paid Advertisement