Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-03-31


to details OF the practical workings Of
commission form of county govern
ment. DO we have to ask for this
Information from the Rusk County
Real Estate Board, or is it !; fact adj
mitted by them that theory has blindS
cd the sight Of the practical eye?
May j be permitted TO help little
The statement is made that 4 small
per cenl Of the present county board
influences the entire body and are able
TO put over anything these few might
favor. Talk is cheap. prove your
statement Have these few put over
anything at all that was detrimental
to the whole county or any part of it:
Has any resolution been finally passed
without being thoroughly explained
when presented and before II was va
ted upon and was it not always eX-
planned and debated fairly? Do you
mean TO say that the county board is
50 ignorant that a few can put over
anything?
Have you ever inquired about any
thing that was done by the county
board Of any member thereof, and
found him uninformed? Did he not
know what he voted on? Do you moi
think it proper and best that the vo-
ters shall have chance, through their
chairmen, to vote to protect their
town. village or city from the schemes
of Il few plotters and planners? What
Al. Al. n
actually done that is worthy Of yonr
| "kick?' Have they not been fair?
Do you not think that under the
commission form the district around
the home of the commissioners will be
favored as against the outlying parts
Of his district where possibly the votes
are few? Will not each commissioner
be expected to bring Il slice of bacon
to his district each year; if So where
will your taxes go to? Are they not
high enough?
Mr. Sergent says: Each commits
sioner has certain duties to perform
and, having full knowledge Of these
duties, he can vote intelligently.' How
about the other two fellows Where
do they get their information from So
they can vote intelligently also? Does
this one man influence the .intelli-
gence" into the other two commission.
the same as ii is claimed the ''feW" on
the county board do to the majority?
He also says each meeting is in a
sense public hearing. Are not the
county board meetings open 10 allfI
Has anyone been ordered out Of the
room at any time? Has anyone been
refused opportunity 10 present any
matter before the county board?
He says the tendency is 10 hold
down expenses of government. It must
be the county board is unbusiness-likel
and inefficient or perhaps a few men
must be in on graft" in order to get
it. Nineteen votes on any question be-
fore the county board is now neces- |
sary To pass anything AT all, two votes
are necessary if the commission form
is adopted Judge for yourself which
is safest
Again he says, with 4 large number
on the board there is a tendency for
each member 10 he primarily inter |
ested in his own town or locality.
What is wrong about it if he rs? Why
deal III "tendencies' where are your
facts, the practical side? Is anyone I
in Rusk county so influential and so
bic a man as to be able TO change htl
man nature? VIII any sane man ''fa-
vor" another town, perhaps miles DIS
tant, 10 the detriment OF his own
town? Do you or anyone else want
him TO do so.
Is it not Il fact that the Rusk Coun-
ty Real Estate Board. which is com
posed Of dealers in land throughout
the county, prevailed upon Assembly
man Summerville to introduce anu |
pass the bill to create commission form |
OF county government by representing
to him that the people wanted II!
What inquiries were made OF the pee
pie Of Rusk county before this state
ment was made to him? is it fact,
as is being so freely minated, that
this Real Estate board has already
selected ut least two of the three com
miSSioners?
Is it not q fact that at iets' Q few
OF these commission proponents are
Itching for a public office? Do you
think they are willing to sacrifice their
time and money for the good OF the
public at a low salary?
Do you think you could get good
business men or good successful farm
ers to accept the place as commits
sioner for the salary OF S3o0oo pi'ls
$3.50 90 for expenses and SIX cents per
mile for actual miles Travelled! me
county business totals over S3oo,ooO.
each year, and do yon not think tha1
You need good men not politicians or
office seekers. to control The eNpendl'
| turc Of this money? DO yon not THINK
| that even though the salary is small
| to begin with thai these commissioners
viii get together With other county
commissioners and eventually get the
state legislature to raise the salary
How much cheaper II any at all, is
! the commission form than the county
II - xl1x