The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-04-24

the possibilities of drawing tourist
travel by having the better roads
: Some drivers desiring to go from Po-
catello to Arco prefer going via
Lewisville and Roberts to Little Lost
river and then back to Arco, rather
than go over the road from Black
foot to Arco direct. The public
press of America is giving much
publicity to the Craters of the Moon,
and tourist travel will increase to
that section. Our commissioners
would like to get In early with fine
road to draw that travel thru Bing-
ham county over the Lost River
Highway, get the road accepted by
the state as fast as possible and get
this county released from the burden
OF its upkeep.
County's Financial Condition
| Referring again to the financial
condition of the county, and the
means by which it has been kept in
as good condition as 1t is, we cite the
, readers attention to the annual
statement published in this issue and
the fact that the expenditures have
nearly all been kept within the in
come. Following down thru the re-
ports of the different funds, note
that in nearly all cases 1t reads, Elk
cess of income over expense and
then shows small balance, fndicat-
ing that the expenses were kept
within the budget or estimate, and
by close margins. Reports have been
published for bygone years when 1t
read the other way and in some in
stances it ran into the thousands.
Especially was this true in handling
matters connected with the fair, and
when the present board went into Of
fee there was stack of bills for the
fair already on the table waiting for
them and for weeks they kept COM
ing in claiming money for goods and
service furnished months before, |
some of it authorized and some OF 1t
without written authority, but prob
ably furnished in good faith on
verbal orders. Nobody knew when |
the end of this kind of thing would
be, and nobody on earth could keep
things within a budget with such
lack of system. Having seen 80 much
of these things 1t is particularly
gratifying to see the statement of
the 1923 business showing the small
margins and money left in 80 many
Of the funds.
The Farm Bureau
The farm bureau deserves special
attention, due to the fact that in
1920 the expense of that department
was Just little less than $4,000,
and in 1923 It was only $2620.81.
In January and February, 1921, this
paper sounded a note Of warning,
saying the farm bureau was wasting
money in many ways and especially
Tor automobiles and for auto re-
pairs. It had people running all {
,ver the county in autos and making 6
What seemed to be unnecessary trips {
nto other counties, and some OF
hese people, when they had a blow
tut, instead Of stopping and chang t
hg tires or making repairs, would @
rive to town on the rim, take the 8
ar to a garage and order new rims, I
Tres, tubes and all, multiplying the o
amage and the expense beyond all
eason. We pressed our objections
o the extravaganza firmly, and one
1ember of the farm bureau became
o hostile and said he objected to
aving a reporter sit in their meet
lgs, said he was against newspaper
rrite-ups and reports anyhow, and
1anted the board to decide whether
ne writer was to be allowed to stay
! the board meeting or not. The
est of the board said they were will
lg the writer should remain il he
anted to, but the editor replied
lat he believed in publishing the
nth about what the board was do
lg, and that he would not remain to
sport the activities of a public
oard, where one member was inso-
mt to the press and the rest of the
LENDERS let him get away with it
ithout rebuking him for his inso-
nee. No further reports were pub
shed for the season, but the COM
issioners cut the appropriation to
lie expense has been reduced to
2620.S1, and we believe 1t is accom-
ishing more real service now than