The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-01-19
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
HOLDING BUSY SESSION
Continued from last week.

1
The Inauguration of the new Off
cials in 1917 was not well attended.
l. Compared with the packed house
of two years ago and the searching
inquiry as to who would be deputies
and how business would be conduct
ed, there seemed little interest. Only
a few persons dropped in to see
what was doing ond they did not
remain long.
The commissioners examined and
approved the official bonds of the
new officers and began examining the
bills for current expense. There
were the usual Interruptions to hear
those who had business to present,
and the first half Of the week was
spent in random efforts to get ac-
quainted with. the situation. ALI
members of the retiring board were
present to give. what aid they could,
and they were Kept busy explaining
problems that arose. The judges and
clerks of election at Sterling had filed
bill for their pay for service, say
ing they worked all day and all night
and thought they ought to have
double pay for it. The usual allow
ance for such service is four dollars
shift, and that would be two shifts.
They asked for sixteen dollars a.
piece. Investigation of the record
showed that they had only 141 votes
to count, and the request for pay
ment for four shifts would make 1t
cost almost a dollar vote for the
record The commissioners smiled
and laid the bill aside.
H. w. Kiefer was down from Idaho
Falls, and after shaking hands
around he disappeared.
George Shut applied to the board
for aid in carino for his step-father,
Vernon Bird. and said he had cared
for him three years in paralyzed
condition, and could not afford to
keep on carrying the load. He stat
ed that he was labOring man and
had only what he could earn and that
Mr.. Bird was only a step-father to
him; that if it were his own father
he would not say word, but he
would like the county, to give some
aid. Mr.. Birds brother was there
from Rexburg and said that he had
q large family to support and could
not give much aid but he would do
some. It was agreed that ten dol
lars a month was to be paid from the
county treasury to aid in his support.
Mrs. M. A. Clark applied for aid
and said her husband had deserted
her. She had children to support
and was at the end of her resources.
She had horse but it was in no con-
dition to sell. There was some ex-|
pense to be paid on the horse or she
would lose it. If she could arrange
to keep it till spring she could sell
it and get something for it. She was
in need of coal and food supplies,
and the board decided to give some
relief right away. They studied the
situation a good while to get it in
form to give her most possible for
the money.
L. j. Porter, road overseer for
Blackfoot district, dropped in to say
that he had just returned from
Mayo's hospital the night before and
had not gotten his report and account
of property filed, but would do 1t
right away.
A typewriter salesman for Under
wood, had looked over the various
machines and explained their con-
dition and value. Some Of them
were badly worn and had keys about
disabled, The board studied the mat
ter carefully and gave an order for
three or four new machines and turn
ed in the old ones for their exchange
value.
Mrs. Helen Keller, widow, present
ed a tax problem. She had bought
some real estate of Mrs, J. E. Cow
les and the taxes had not been paid
on it for the year she bought 1T,
1918 or 1914. The board decided
that as Mrs. Cowles was a resident
of Ogden at the time, she had no
widows exemption and Mrs. Keller
would have to redeem the property
by paying the tax with penalties ad-
ded, She went away sorrowful, Tor
she had no means of paying. Next
.day she returned with an old docu-
ment she thought might change the
situation. and after the assessor and
the board took look at it they
cleared the record, saying that 1t es-
tablished the fact that Mrs. Cowles
had been accorded widows exempt
ion that year, having been a resident
here within the time required for 1t,
and Mrs. Keller acquired her rights
of that year. Mrs. Keller walked
out looking relieved and hopeful.
The list of twenty-nine widows re-
ceiving pensions was examined and
questions were raised as to the right
Of some Of them to receive a pension
when they have property and means
that appear to be sufficient to keep
them out of distress. Personal in
vestigation will be made by each COM
missioner in his district to see If the
number can be reduced by cutting
off those who are able to work or so
manage their energies and resources
that they could make living If they
would. The number Of pensions in
creased to SO by Thursday.
Mr.. Lloyd, an elderly man who has
crippled ankle, had talk with
the board about his condition and
his needs, and the board will aford
him some relief.
Mrs. Leslie Killion has been un-
fortunate and is left without means
of support for herself and children,
and has received some county aid.
At the suggestion of friend she
went to the court house and had a
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