The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-08-03
From the Correspondents
Items Of Interest Concerning Our Neghbors Hereabouts

than one full congressional township
the money raised in each township for
road purposes shall be spent in the
township where raised.
The county road and bridge fund is
controlled by the county commission
ers and is used where large expendl-
lures is made necessary for the good
of the county as a whole, just as at
present.
Rules of order governing town meet
ings, as well as rules governing the
oaths of office, bonds, etc., are provid-
ed for but we won't take the space
to discuss them.
The county commissioners may fill
any vacancies in town officers from
among the electors living in the town.
The supervisors, who get $1.OO per
day for their services while in the
town and $3.50 when outside the town,
but not Overt $4,000 year, constitute
board of health, draw warrants on
the town treasurer for incidental ex-
penses and for money raised by the
town to be disbursed for any stated
purpose. They audit accounts and have
charge of affairs not committed to
other town officers.
The town clerk keeps all records,
etc., and reports all tax levies Except
labor tax to the county auditor who
shall levy such amounts on the tax
rolls of that year. He gets fees for
filing documents, all of which are set
forth at length and he is also paid the
same as the supervisors.
The treasurer keeps the funds of the
town which are raised for strictly
town purposes and which are collected
by town officers.
The assessor gets $500 per day and
makes all assessments under the di-
rection of the county assessor. All of
the town assessors meet with the
county assessor on the End Saturday
of March. Appeal may be had from the
assessors to the supervisors, who sit
as board of equalization the second
Monday of each May, and again ap-
peal may be had to the county COM
m; ssioners.
The overseer of highways gets $500
per day.
The Office of poundmaster may be
created and filled either by appoint
ment or by election. He is allowed
certain fixed charges for his services.
The Office may be discontinued at any
annual meeting.
All taxes are levied or voted in
specific amounts except such general
taxes as may be definitely fixed by
law. Not over two mills shall be lev
led for township purposes exclusive Of
the road and bridge funds. These pur-
poses or charges consist Of salaries
and expenses of Offices, and Of money
voted for any special purpose as any
any town meeting.
No town may spend or contract
debts in any one year in sum larger
than the amount Of taxes assessed for
such year, unless authorized by ma
jority of the voters of the town, and
no town shall assess for township pur-
poses moro than 10 mills for any one
year.
Two-thirds of the voters may vote
to issue bonds for not over ten years
at not over eight per cent in sum not
to exceed five per cent of the total
taxable property of the township, and
provisions for marketing the bonds,
levying taxes for interest, sinking
funds, etc., are set forth in the law at
length.
All taxes are collected by the coun-
ty treasurer except poll taxes which
are town funds and are paid to the
town treasurer.
The law contains adequate provis-
ions for actions at law by or against
towns, for setting guide posts, post
ing notices, conveying town real es-
tate, transferring books and papers
from outgoing officers to incoming Of
ficers, ETC., ETC., and also for changing
the present voting precincts to new
ones to be established and for trans
ferring the work of the present county
officials to the new town officials.
The chief beneficial effect is to take
the roads out of politics and place
them under the supervision Of the
farmers themselves in districts of such
size that the neighbors can get to-
gether and arrange to make their own
improvements when, where, and to
whatever extent they want. Where
in operation in this state, half the
road taxes have been saved and still
better roads have resulted.
We have another one on the Ken
| newick council and no one has ever