The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1922-03-30
'OAKES AUDITOR
GETSSARCASTIC
Thinks Meetings of the Registration
Board Could Be Dispensed With
Very Nicely
NO REAL SERVICE PERFORMED
Fool Law Provides that Men Must Be
in Session All Day

in Session All Day
The question of dispensing with
meetings of the registration board was
submitted recently to the city auditor
and his opinion is Illuminating and
original, to say the least. Here is
the way he puts it:
The matter of registration of voters
is one big joke-a joke that costs the
tax payers of Oakes about twenty-five
dollars for each ten cents worth of
service performed.
A registration board operates some-
thing like this: Each spring board
of registration is ordered assembled
in each ward of the city. The law
provides that this board be composed
of the man wlib will act as inspector
of election and his two trusty judges.
Said inspector selects the judges, US
ually men Of influence in the commun-
ity, men who are tried and true and
of proven ability. The occasion is
one of great solemnity, for the honor
of the commonwealth is at stake and
these men are sworn-each to the
other-to see that no scalawag slips
in and exercises his right Of franchise
unbeknown to them. The occasion il
one of dignity, and suitable easy
chairs for convenience and fiat top
table for the work (spare the word)
are provided. Four new books are
provided each board. Two, that the
names of the male voters may be
properly recorded and two for the Ia
dies-bless them. The registry books
used at the previous election are on
hand and are needed for reference.
OF course the old books are just the
same as the new ones will be, except
they are not new. The books that
will be used at the forthcoming i'm
portant function of electing one al
derman must be new and consequent
ly the old ones must be copied. Now,
one would think that three husky men
could copy couple of hundred names
in the course of a day and have lit
tie time for needed recreation; but
such is not the case, and our board
must stay in session the entire day
and not adjourn until 500 p. m. The
work is entirely too arduous for any
one not provided with a strong con-
stitution and many complaints have
been made of the long hours, hard
work and small pay that go with the
job. After the task is completed two
books are safely locked in vault pro-
vided for that purpose and two of
fho,,, aro h,,ro m h~;,h< ,o,. ..:y.
in the village post Office where they
are quite highly decorative and Of i'm
mense convenience for the flies as
roosting places. These books must
hang in the postoffice for one week and
only be taken down with proper cere-
mony by the correct member of the
board when it is time to reassemble
for the purpose of correcting them.
It the board does not sleep at the
second meeting the members are fool
ish. There is nothing to do but they
must remain in session during the en-
tire day. After this meeting it is
presumed that all the voters have been
registered and everything is set for
the day Of election. In case the board
was particularly lazy or negligent, as
is often the case, and only write down
the names Of half the voters, it makes
no difference whatever, as the names
can be written in the registry books
by the election board on the day of
election just as well and no one knows
the difference, or cares.
The cost Of doing this work is about
as follows:
8 men on registry boards, first
meeting, at $500 per day $27.00
9 men on registry boards, sec
ond meeting, at $500 per day 27.00
There are usually about two elec-
tions each year and with cost of books
and incidentals the city pays in the
neighborhood Of $125.0O per year to
write in blank books the names of
about 600 people.
II this work could be done by the
city council at its regular meetings it
would cost nothing and be done just
as we'll. The saving effected would
make quite payment on . batch Of
fire hose, it would go some distance
on payment for an adding machine
for the auditors Office, or would keep
certain poor families in soap and
sugar for more than two months.
However, the law prescribes the sys-
tenn explained. We must abide by the
law.