The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-01-24
Look Over the Seasons Work of the Best Deputy
IAssessor--Do You Approve Of the Expense
,.~.1 Bills? If Not Write and Explain to Us.
(Reprinted by ReQuest)
People who are interested in
knowing whether the assessors de-

(Reprinted by ReQuest)
People who are interested in
knowing whether the assessors de-
partment is being conducted on
| proper expenses, have good OPP
! portunity to study it out for them
selves. If all the records were
brought to your house and laid on
your tables so you could look them
over it would be easy for you to
study those parts relating to the
assessing of your own property and
the property of your own neighbor-
hood or your own township and de-
eide whether or not the expense was
unreasonable. The editor of this
paper does not know all'the different
townships nor perhaps any of the
different townships well enough to
Judge correctly whether given
amount of expense is reasonable
expense so far as the assessor is con-
C-rned. The one thing he does as
sumo to know about it that the as
SCISSOR making long drives in The
morning and again in the afternoon
coming home after days wori- or
an alleged days work, and charging
20 cent a mile for going out ana
coming back, is, not an economical
way of administering the public ser
vice. Last week the question was
put before the board of commission
ers expressing some doubt whether
the man should be paid 20 cent a
mile for making a long drive home
On Saturday afternoon or evening
and a similar long drive to get back
to his work on Monday morning. The
assessor himself is the one who
raised the doubt about it by stating
that it might not be considered adj
yisable or justifiable. He was speak
ing of the assessing done by Eli ID.
Hines at Aberdeen and spoke of Mr..
Hines as being crackerjack assessor
who actually got the work done;
man who was a hustler; man who
is hard to beat and one who actually
gets the property on the assessment
rolls. With all these recommended
lions to the credit of Mr.. Hines and
with the assessor expressing his
doubt as to whether Mr.. Hines was
justified in making the long drives
at 20 cents mile, charging the same
to the county, we take Mr.. Hines
whole record for the year 1920 for
them to pass judgment upon. People
living in the south end of the county
will understand the situation and
some of them will be able to figure
out the mileage in their own town.
ship and see whether a man does
long days work or short day
work to assess the certain districts
shown in the items given below in
the time charged for it.
For the information of those who
do not understand the situation we
wish to say that Mr.. Hines is an
Aberdeen man and that he assesses
the south end of the county up to
Blackfoot. 1t is to be assumed that
when he is in the Aberdeen country
he stays at home at nights when it
is convenient and that as he gets
further up the country he would
stay at the hotels at Sterling, Spring
field, Pingree and Blackfoot. If he
takes meals and lodging away from
home, he is entitled to charge them
to the county as part of his legiti-
mate expense account. Under the
present arrangement he Is entitled
also to charge the county 20 cents
for each mile travelled. The mileage |
expense has mounted so high this
office questions the classification of
this mileage. The Republican office
takes the view that man may be
entitled to charge for his mileage out
to the work and while he is doing the
work, but that he should return
home at his own expense. That is
an old custom that applies to COM
mefcial pursuits of various kinds,
where the person doing the work |
work. 1t was good old custom and
would be sensible thing to follow
now in county matters. Mr.. Malcolm,
the chief of the assessors depart
ment says there might be a question
man should drive home on
Saturday afternoon and back Mon
lay morning, distance of forty
miles or so and charge the county
Tor the mileage both ways, yet he
went one better than that when he
was assessing in the northern part
If the county by coming home every
hight and charging the county for
mileage both ways. BY looking up
he expense account Of Mr.. Hines,
he best deputy assessor in the county
t does not appear to us that he
JAILED to charge every mile that he
travelled in his work and going to
md from his work and in going back
md forth to get his books and to
urn them in to the assessor. 1t ap-
,ears that he charged for the miles
le drove Monday mornings to get to
lis work and for the miles he drove
saturday afternoon or evening to re-:
urn home for Sunday. If that ex-
nipple had been set in an exaggerated
orm by his worthy chief 1t is not