The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-06-14
CHAPTER VIII.

ty, and that the new counties go
along well on moderate expense ant
moderate taxes. 1t Is generally tru,
that when a new county is organized
they get along we'll for while be
cause of the fact that while thu
county is new the officers usually
take keen interest in matters OF
government, and the citizens take
deep interest in keeping case sr
the officers. They all work togeth.
er to have the public business done
about right, and so long as such in
tereSt keeps up, they are likely to
have good government at moderate
expense. 1t usually happens that
when the old county seat becomes
infested with corrupt ring, and a
new county is formed, it is for the
purpose of getting away from ring
rule and extravaganza, and some of
the leading men in the new county
take an active part in public af-
fairs for number of years, to the
advantage of the public in general
The Reputation of Counties
The old county of Fremont &C
CURED the reputation of being cor
rupt early in the present century,
and jefferson and Madison counties
were cut out of it and started in
business for themselves. The rec
ords of those counties have just re-
Gently been audited, and the bust
ness is reported to be in good condi
ton. The parent county had such
a run Of corruption and graft, it was
warning to the new counties to
get right and keep right, and by fol-
lowing a policy of having their
books audited at intervals it takes
away the temptation to graft the
county because it holds out a warm
ing that discovery will follow if
grating is attempted. Minidoka
county is another one of the new
counties carved out of Blaine, and
county audits show it's business in
good shape.
ludlO l. ais duu boHhCNlllC Souu-
ty have learned lesson. Four years
ago the books Of the city were audit
ed and there were some big steals.
4 number OF people were supposed
to have been responsible for the
missing funds, but one man was
made the goat. The others are
still at large, and the public evil
IDENTIFY believe that it is worth while
to watch their public records and
their public funds. Two years ago
they had the county records audit
ed, and found the treasurers books
very badly kept. The treasurer her
self did not know where she was
at, and her books did not show her.
She did not have sufficient knowl-
edge of bookkeeping to take care OF
all contingencies, and probably un-
known to her she was short a sub
stantial sum of money and there was |
some reason to believe that she was
not the one who carried it off. But |
when the audit showed a lot of mis- |
takes and errors pro and con and |
a shortage of funds, she covered |
the loss and worked hard to open " |
a set OF books under the direction |
of the special auditors. After all
other two years they returned and |
made another audit, covering hej |
bookkeeping on the new plan, and |
found everything as it should be, an
and efficient treasurer |
who knew what she was about and |
whose books were plain opponents |
of every transaction of the county |
finances. When she was taught |
how TO take care of the business she |
kept it right and nobody got away |
with any of the funds for which
she was responsible. The auditors
have Just recently completed Their
report and listed Bonneville as one
of the Wen kept counties of the state
which few years ago seemed head
ed for bad record Bannock coun
ty has always had some grafters to
contend with, and even tho they get
them out of office and retire them
to private life it is impossible to
keep them out of business and to
keep them from getting their hand in
thepublic crib. There is a poor &C
system, the books are bad
" kept in many respects, and Ban
mock county is in way to fall the
victim to much corruption or to take
measures to clean up
he slate and keep it clean. One of
he best things to prevent corrup-
ion is to have an audit every two
years covering the work of each
administration. No man in public
office can successfully cover up
graft if this method is followed, and
10 man in his senses is going to do
my grating if it is morally certain
hat it will be found out and taken
tut of his bondsmen within two
ears, and himself taken into court
O answer for it.
Bingham has been the banner
ounty for ups and downs. 1t had
he Bunting failure with it's attend
mt litigation, it had it's extravaganza
f five and ten years ago, and it +
ad it's losses of money that were I