Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-05
REVISION OF LAWS REGARDING
BOARDS or SUPERVISORS
SUGGESTED.
COMMISSION PLAN IN
some FORM RECOMMENDED
Special Counsel Sampson Declares
Better Business Methods Could Be
Adopted - Supervisors Frequently
Unable to Give County Business
Time Essential 70 Efficiency.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines. Jan. 5.-Over $4,000. 900
of the money Of the people is expended
annually on order Of the boards Of
supervisors In Iowa: yet there Is no
branch Of the state government con-
Quoted so loosely or with such great
diversity as the cost and results.
This is the basis of suggestion to
the legislature that 1t Is time to re-
wise the law as to boards Of SUPER
.visors and get the county business
boards there Is handled the general
county funds, tho county road funds,
the bridge funds, and expenditures for
poor. soldiers, insane. orphans, etc. In
the aggregate it is an enormous
amount
THE ninety-nine boards Of SUPER
visors have q great responsibility in
the handling of the business of the
counties" said Henry. E. Sampson.
special counsel in the legal department
OF Iowa, "and It would seem that We
should have that organization which
would be most effective and give best
results for the expenditure This part
Of our public business Is being handled
almost without system. 1t is expected
that men will be elected to these posi-
tons who have large business inter-
ests Of their own and who can devote
only little time to 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
81 state AFFAIRS NE have been at work
sy~tematizing and simplifying business
methods and In municipal affairs we
have made much progress away from
the old town meeting idea of every
body attending to the public business;
but we are clinging to the old hap
hazard way of doing the county busi-
ness.
Chance For Reform.
ut Is thru this channel that many
millions Of the money of the taxpayers
is expended. No doubt most of 1t is
properly expended. But one does not
have to look far to be convinced that
this trust could be administered more
cheaply and economically il the men
who are called upon to handle county
business were picked for that purpose
and could give practically all their time
to 1t. I dare say that whatever OF
weakness has been found, from time
to time, in the system. arises from the
fact that the members of the board
have not been able to give the work
that close attention 1t deserves.
TN Iowa there are 1856 different per-
sons engaged in handling these county
funds as members Of boards. There
are fifty-eight counties with three
members each, thirty-fIve with five
each. and three with seven each. The
payments to these supervisor boards
in 1913 amounted to $256.766. But the
cost of the county boards varies great
ly In ono county in 1911 the average
cost per members was $120.3S year.
In another county It was $1,645 year.
One county in 1913 paid to board menu
bers over $4,000.
Widely Varying Results.
Fl ut Is but natural that the results
obtained are also widely different. For
instance, in FIVE or six counties Of the
state a-county farm IS operated. with
total receipts from his farm less than
the stewards salary. But here is an
other county with a steward getting
81, 400 year and total receipts from
the farm $4,000; another with a $1,000
man and getting $4,000. Take the
item Of printing-one county pays a
total OF $1.765 and another pays ill.,
354. One county has q charge for
mileage for members Of $7936.70 in
one year. SO, also. an examination Of
the records win show great, difference
in expense on very many items. It all
goes to show that the county business
Is not done on as close figuring as 1t
could be.
This is not an Indictment Of mem
bers OF the board. not at all: for they
are, as . rule, honest, conscientious,
hard working men. sincerely seeking
to do for their respective counties the
very best possible. But the system is
not adapted to conditions as we find
them today It was splendid system
for the time when It was Instituted,
when everybody knew everybody and
ali information regarding public busi-
ness was common property. -
Suggests Commission Form.
ut seems to me that the commission