The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-01-07
MONEY WASTED
BY SUPERVISORS
PRESENT SYSTEM
sPEc'L COUNSEL SUGGESTS BET.
TER BUSINESS METHODS.
SHOULD GIVE COUNTY ALL TIME
County Business is Far Too import
ant to be Treated as an Odd Job
or After Supper Talks Says
Sampson Of Dept.


DeS Moinas, Jan. Cover $2O,OOO,
600 Of the money of the people is ax
pended annually on order of the
boards of supervisors in Iowa; yet
there il no branch of the state gov
eminent conducted so loosely or with
such great diversity as the cost and
results.
This is the basis Of a suggestion to
the legislature that 1t Is time to re-
wise the law as to boards of superVis'
Ors and get the county business down
TO a business basis. Through these
boards there is handled the general
county funds, the county road funds
The bridge funds and expenditures for
poor, soldiers, insane, orphans. etc
In the aggregate 1t is an enormous
amount.
THE ninety.nine boards of super
visors have a great responsibility in
the handling of the business of the
countless" said Henry f. Sampson
special counsel in the legal depart
ment of Iowa, " and 1t would seem
that we should have that organization
which would be most effective and
give pest results for the expenditure
This part of our public business Is
being handled almost without system
1t Is expected that men will be elect
ed to these positions who have large
business interests of their own and
who can devote only a little time tC
the public affairs. Attending to the
county business Is kind of odd job
an after-supper task, something to be
done on the side. Now in state affairs
we have been at work systemizins
and simplifying business methods and
in municipal affairs we have madi
much progress away from the Ole
town meeting idea Of everybody at
tending TO the public business; bu
we are clinging TO the old hap-hazart
vay Of doing the county bmsincss.
Chance for Reform.
at is through this channel tina
many millions of the money OF the
Taxpayers is expended. No doubt mos
of it is properly expended. But one
does not have to look far to be con
WINGED that this trust could be al
ministered more cheaply and eConOn
iCally if the men who are called upol
TO handle county business were pick
ed for that purpose and could give
practically all their time to it. dare
say that whatever Of weakness ha!
been found, from time to time, in Ih'
system, arises from the fact that IT,
members OF the board have not beer
able to give the work that close at
tention it deserves.
This is not an Indictment OF mem
bers OF the board, not at all; for the!
are, as a rule, honest, conscientious
narI working men, sincerely seeking
TO do for their respective counties tn
very best possible. But the system i
not adapted to conditions as we NM
them today. 1t was a splendid Sys
tenn for the time when it was inst
tuted, when everybody knew every
body and all information regarding
public business was common proper
ty.
The county business is far to
important to be treated as an odd 10
any longer. 1t is time that the stat
makes it possible for counties tina
so desire to employ competent bus
ness men and engage them TO deVot
their entire time to the business
the counties they serve. Certainly n
county that desires to move t0rWar
and try out a better method shoul
he barred from making the eXper
ment."