The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-03-17

DAeO &vA<ADD
A MISTAKE
1t is our judgment that the COM
missioners of Bingham county have
made a mistake We expect them to
make mistakes, but we did not ex-
pect them to make the mistake that
we have in mind now. Bingham
county invested $4,000 in improve
ments at the fair grounds last fall
and made it one of the important de-
partments of the county government.
The accounts of the fair were con-
Quoted in a rather loose way while
these Improvements were being made
and the present board of county COM
missioners found a rather confused
and discouraging situation relative
to the fair. In order to continue the
business Of the fair and put on fair
as it should be for 1921, it was ad-
visable for them to appoint a fair
board and to employ a secretary or
make some arrangements to have the
preliminaries of the fair going for
ward for the winter and spring and
they have left the matter from week
to week until it was March before
they made any move in the selection
of men to do the work There has
been no fair board appointed yet,
but they have elected secretary, en-
tirely inexperienced, and agreed to
pay a high salary for it.
Mr.. Benson stated frankly to the
board before he was employed and
while they were offering him the
position, that he had never had any
experience in any such work and did
not know whether he would succeed
with 1t or not, but they employed
him anyhow. The work done by the
secretary of the fair would fit in very
nicely with the work to be done by
the secretary of the Blackfoot Com
mercial club; they are related in
their interests. 1t has been suggested
to the board of county commission
ers that they work in conjunction
with the management of the Com
mercial club and that they employ a
secretary that will be capable of fill
ing both positions. There is not
enough to keep man busy in either
position and at this time of the year
not enough to keep a man busy If
both positions were combined. The
county commissioners have employed |
Mr.. Benson at a salary of 5000 and
he is now on the payroll with very
little to do excepting to look after
some of the preliminary arrange
ments Of the fair next fall and to map
out an accounting system which we
judge good accountant could dis
pose of in few days.
II the board justifles the payment
of a salary OF $500 a month by the
fact that the secretary pays expenses
and furnishes lis own car, for the
next two or three months there will
be no expenses worth mentioning and
no travelling to do, therefore they are
paying this high salary merely be-
cause for two or three months in
summer and early fall, there will be
some running around to do. Grant
ing that $1,000 a year would be a
good salary to pay an inexperienced
secretary, that leaves $500 a year
hey are allowing for expenses and q
he use of the automobile. Six
hundred dollars is too much for the '
ise of an automobile and for travel I
ng expenses to the country for the '
ew weeks during which the secretary t
would be out part of the time run \
ling around the country looking c
lfter the interests of the fair. b
We pronounce it a loose way of y
Icing business and an example of
'ad Judgment and poor management .
m the part of the commissioners. '
II Mr.. Benson were natural en-
hustast and oDtimist and had shown n
natural talent for boosting things y
nd for organizing activities of other =
men, the board might have been Il
Justified in giving him a try-out to d
ee whether he could fill such a posi-
ion as that, but certainly not at 5000 o
month. Mr.. Renson has not been l.
oted for his activities in public af- II
airs. He has served as accountant y
Or ditch companies and as county u
'easurer, very perfunctory line of !:
'ork, dealing with figures, rather n
nan with human nature and activ- .
les that call for originality, y
nowledge Of human nature and the II
bility to get other people to work. =
'hen it comes to dealing with cold u
cures and cash and taking care of 81
he money, Mr.. Benson has shown q
bility and zeal for his work. When :,
lere were public meetings planning o. 81
see what should be done for pub =
C good, Mr.. Benson has not shown u
n interest and activity in those .,
ngs that has attracted any atten- a.
!, to himself nor has he shown any "
.t,o. llar talent that marked him as
"a ds> in those activities. tt
opr d, 1gnent is that the county a.
y un;sssic>, ners have made a mistake =
4 that timA will very rapidly prove u
+ prediction. 1, at