The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1915-12-16
VISITING COMMISSIONERS ARE
GIVEN BANQUET LAST NIGHT.

GIVEN BANQUET LAST NIGHT.
Nearly go guests sat down to the
banquet served by the Mitchell Com
mercial club and the commissioners
of Dawson county in the city hall
auditorium last evening. The three
course dinner was served by p. Nc
Carthy. Following the dinner, Will
liam Brazzill, of Wagner, the state
president, introduced the toast
master of the evening, George A.
silsby, who, after paying due tribute
to the commissioners of the state
for their loyal, although poorly-paid
services, in determining the future
of the state, in troduced Mayor A.
e. Hitchcock to speak on the sub
ject, Legislative Needs of the As
sociation."
"Out of a large mass of legisla-
tive needs" said Mr.. Hitchcock,
"there are about four that stand out
most prominently in my mind for
starter" He then proceeded to
elaborate on the four points, that,
first, the county commissioners
should have the right to correct
clerical errors that may creep into
the assessment rolls such as one that
occurred in this county recently,
when an assessment of S4OO was
made to read $4,000; second, that
the commissioners should have the
power to enforce the collection of
personal property taxes which so
often now go uncollected; third, that
the commissioners should have the
legal right to keep the roads of the
county i'll repair.
AT present they have the right to
construct roads but not to take
care of them except with what money
comes from automobile licenses and
thus large part of the money spent
for construction is wasted; fourth,
that the commissioners should be
dom in the letting of bridge con-
tract, principally in being allowed
to let contract by each item of con-
struction rather than in one con-
tract covering the entire structure.
Money could be saved in this way
and better bridges secured.
Lauritz Miller, states attorney
for Dawson county, under the sub
ject, "What is Expected of County
Commissioners" named a number of
qualifications that are not mention
ed in the statutes, such as honesty,
efficiency, impartiality and fearless
ness. He criticised the present law
in not allowing commissioners to be
elected from the county at large and
thus eliminating the tendency for
each commissioner to be partial to
his district He enforced the state
ment made by Mr.. Hitchcock that
the commissioners of the state were
working with their hands tied or
the construction of bridge and road
building and repair.
In the construction Of bridges he
declared the commissioners are
greatly handicapped by the unneces-
sary and foolish requirement that all
plans and specifications for bridges
must be made by the state engineer
and that on the large bridges the
work has to be done under his sup
ervision.
"The commissioners of the state
are not allowed to do business on
business principles" said Mr.. Miller.
81 believe the commissioners are
honest and capable enough to do
this work without being watched
like naughty boy" The right to
compromise and collect back person.
al taxes was urged and the authority
to adjust any brazen instances Of
unfair taxation.
George v. Ayres, of Deadwood, one
of the Oldest commissioners of the
state. told in an interesting manner
of his work in connection with road
and bridge building in the Black
Hills and how his board had DEM
onstrated the value Of good roads
to the people Of the county and had
built over 100 miles Of the best
roads in the state atsa Comparatively
small cost by doing the work in a
-business-hse manner, even though
they SQmetimes were illepal if, fhni..