New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-07-02
GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY
AND lNEFFlClENCY

/ The Otero county board of educa-
tion has employed a special repair
man who will visit every rural school
in the county to make the necessary
Irepairs as the county superintendent
shall direct. This work will be done
during the summer and should re-
suit in considerable saving as well
as in work more satisfactorily done.
/ The State Tax Commission ex-
poets to see an increase of 81 500 600
IN the valuation OF automobiles on
the 1920 tax rolls, the total amosnt-
ing 10 So, 10000, as the value of
1850 cars for which licenses have
been issued by the secretary of state
To arrive at the value mentioned,
the prices paid for used cars are
applied as such prices are determin-
ed from market reports.
Fidel Cordova treasurer of the
municipal school district of Willard
recently published report of school
revenues and expenditures in the
Willard Record. This report IS in
such detail and so intelligible that
any taxpayer can see easily where
his money has been expended. For
teachers $356200 was paid for trans
portation $222l.47 including Sl236O
for Dodge truck : school equipment
and supplies $359.50; fuel S2ll.45;
other expenses, S6ll9S. These prin-
cipal divisions are fully itemized. On
March 81, the balance was $l,06S.74.
Sheriffs are admonished, in a cir
cuiar just issued by the State Tray
atsnn Au1ttar n
all fees collected when acting as
weighmasters must be turned in to
the county treasury. Expenses will
be allowed when properly audited
by the board of county commission
ers. Deputy weighmasters may not
Oe employed unless paid out of
personal funds of sheriff.
In Arizona, applicants for an auto
mobile license are required to file
certificate showing payment OF
personal taxes or that they have
assessahle real estate upon which
personal property taxes not paid are
lien.
The failure of public officers to
properly attend to their duties. is
one of the most discouragng phases
Of government. 1t is known that
certa in state appointed official has
not been in Santa Fe more than
two or three times since his ap.
pointment. There are other public
officials, state and county, who by
indifference and sometimes by in
competence. are bringing public SER
vice into disrepute and derision. For
tunately this criticism does not ap.
ply to all those who are in state and
county offices. One can easily ina
gine tremendous increase in eff.
ficiency and saving of funds, if all
public employees were competent
and industrious for a full day of
seven or eight hours.
One of the leading newspapers OF
the state some months ago publish
ed an editorial upon the subjec,
New Mexico county management"
The editor stressed the adoption OF
the practice of making monthly or
quarterly financial statements in
forms which the busy citizen and
taxpayer can comprehend at a
glance. II such reports were made,
they would have the very beneficial
result of affording the officials. es-
pecially the county commissioners. a !
means of knowing the facts and
county expenditures more
In San Juan county cooperation
between the board of county COM
and the taxpayers is
brought about through a taxation
of the Farm Bureau. /,
Several meetings of these two bo-
dies have been held during the peri. l.
I'd Of assessment and equalization
of property for taxation purposes.
Further meetings will be held to
discuss the 1920 taxi ievies. Says
he Pennington Times-Hustier 1T
S the hope that this committee will
De Of service in representing the in :,
.erests of the different parts of the
The trouble has been that
people have complained about the
axes when they did not know where
heir money was going or anything
bout taxes. The Farm Bureau
Committee idea helps to solve the
difficulty. y."-Taxpayers' Association.