Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-03-31
THREE MEN OR THIRTY SIN.


10 decide the most important local
question that has ever been presented
to the citizens of Rusk county That
is whether we are going TO adopt Il
business like and efficient method Of
conducting our county's affairs, or
whether we are 10 continue with the
present obsolete cumbersome end ex-
pensive system
4 great deal has been written re-
Gently in attacking the commission
form but / have looked IN vain for any
real argument in favor of the present
system. It is an old and very well es
iablshed order and TO change it in any
way might work to the disadvantage
of certain politicians. They would
have us believe that the government i'll
some 5000 other counties in this United
States is all wrong
As a matter Of fact the Wisconsin
system Of county government was tried
out in Iowa during the early history
of that state. The law was later
amended giving each county seven mem
beers on the the county board. This
number was soon changed TO five and
then three. Nearly every state in The
Union now has a similar law.
Much has been said regarding the
relative cost of the two methods. The
records in the county clerks office,
which are open 10 anyone. disclose that
during 1921 the salary, mileage and eX-
aIense Of county board members amount
&d TO $3.50 6J and not all the committee
work is included in this figure. IN
addition, the Office of highway commits
>iOner costs the county over $4,000. The
duties of this office could be and should
be taken over by one Of the three COM
lnissOners.
The salary of the commissioner is set
at $3.50 yearly. They are allowed 81 a
day and & cents mile for committee
work in different parts of The county.
Members of the present county board
get 50 a day and the same mileage.
There are seventeen committees on our
county board. each composed Of three
or five members Under the commits
sion form each Of the commissioners
assumes the duties Of several OF the
present committees He performs
these duties at considerable saving in
duplication of work and expense, the
same as any we'll organized business is
conducted The law limits the amount
a commissioners can receive for commit
tee work to $3.50 1t is foolish TO state
that commissioner will make more
Rips than necessary just TO get the
mileage Anyone who has kept a rec
ord Of the cost Of running Il car, knows
that six cents a mile will not cover it.
He must also stand his own expenses
out Of 81 a day and will perform his
necessary duties, no more and no less
Another fact that should not he over
looked is that the commissioners are
COUNTY OFFICERS, not town, village
city or district officers in amy sense at
all. Their duties will take Them to all
parts Of the county and the claim being
made that each will represent and work
for his district only, is pure magma
ton. as also is the claim that these
men will run wild on a bonding and
tax boosting program That IS exact
ly what they WILL NOT do. We have
already gone beyond all reasonable linz
its OF taxation.
Instead of spending thousands of dol
lars of public money with little or no
knowledge whatever with what they
are voting for. as is done at present,
the commissioners meet often enough so
they can make thorough inyeStiga-
tion Of all matters coming before them
before taking final action. In other
states the county commissioners hold
public hearings in different parts of
the county on matters involving
large expenditures Of money and ut
their regular monthly meetings any
citizen may express his views on the
business before the board IN theory
this is also true under our present sys-
TEN and was tried ny two RuSk county
citizens at the board meeting last fail.
Both were called ont Of order and q
third who said he could have thrown
some light ON the matter in question
was given to understand that he would
rot be heard. The stand taken by some
Of the members was that it would take
up too much time of the board 10 hear
from every one who might wish TO
speak \ days session costs the coun-
ty $50, besides the members mileage.
II is claimed that the fax payers get
better representation under the present
SYSTEM Judging from my own expert
cnce as a member | do not believe this
The average member has little or nc
knowledge Of the business before the
board and the session is over before
he has time TO find out. That we are
paying for much ill-advised legislation
on this account the county records will
testify.
The question is asked, Where do wf
find these men who know the needs a
the entire county," The commissioner
MUST KNOW. must investigate befort
making final decision. Everybody
knows who the man is and just what his
duties arc He cannot shift the re