The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-04-19
County Road and Bridge Notes.

The first issue of the official coun-
| ty papers each month will contain
| some notes, both general and detail
ed of what the board of supervisors
and the engineers office are doing
and what they intend to do along the
line OF wood and steel repairs, con
| crete construction and dirt work. De-
tailed costs of different Jobs of work
completed during the past month will
be given, also other items that may
| be of general interest to the taxpay-
ers, who wants to know trst-handed
the facts Of how his money is spent,
by whom, what for, and the unit
prices for that expenditure.
Questions OF general interest, that
have to do with our work, will be
answered to the best of our ability
and we hope in way that will be
clear and salts sfactory.
The detailed costs Of all bridge
construction, dirt work, dragging of
the county road system, can be found
in the engineers office on the second
floor, southwest corner, of the court
practically all Of the time, who will
willingly go into the different parts
of any of the lines of work and will
explain them and give comparisons
with similar work of other years and
often times in other counties and
states. If anyone wishes to know
what a certain party received for
work on certain day on any JOB,
his rate per hour, hours worked, or
anything of this nature, go to the Of
flee and make your wants known.
The office is busy one, as any place
must be that has to give an exact ac-
count of the workings and expend;-
lures of $55.OOO.OO business, but
go up and make yourself known and
INT, =
just what is going on.
You will find this office equipped
with the necessary books for keep
ing the records, the necessary things
of office work, and line of survey
ing instruments sufficient to do al :
most every lind of engineering work
that is required. These instruments
good condition and on account Of
this, the cost to the county was only
about $500 for all.
This year the board of supervisors
decided to purchase Ford car for
their use, when engaged in county
affairs and for the engineers Office.
For the past two years, mileage was
paid for car at the rate or ten cents
per SpeeuOmeter mile to do the above
work, but this season 1T was decided
to buy a car and pay actual expenses
only, in the hope Of thus cutting
down the cost to the county and to
the taxpayers.
AS you viii remember, the office Of
county engineer was created by the
general assembly in 1913. Before
chat time it was optional with the
board of supervisors whether they
hired or not, but after this session
it was compulsory for them to do So.
The purpose of it's establishment was
certainly to tr, and make the dollars
go farther than they ever had, and
to make someone directly responsible
for this expenditure and records OF
them. OF course the engineer was
to work uAaer and with the board OF
supervisors in the planning and lay
ing out of the needed work. but it
is still the duty OF the board OF sup
ervisors to say where such work
expended at tnat particular place.
With this in mind, we see that the
board is still at the head Of the road
and bridge work as before and favors
or complaints must be registered
| with them as before.
| The success of the present work
ing plan rests with the individual OF
| the county more than ever before,
| because more are taking. an active
interest in this branch of the coun-
ty work, and the board of supervisors
and engineer must please and serve
the people in the way that the people
want or they are of no use to those
| whom they are supposed to serve. II
the taxpayer oppose and do not help
no system is a success, but If the
people are behind the present system
or any other, it will prosper.