The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1924-11-21
GREAT CHANGES
ARE ADVOCATED
Consolidation of Small Coun-
ties, One House Legislature
Suggested by Commissions

County commissioners of Nevada
put themselves on record Tuesday as
favoring wide, sweeping improve
ments in state, county and city gov
ernment and brought to a close their
two day session with the Nevada state
survey commission, says the Reno
journal.
Prominent officials of the counties
declared that the session was the
"most forward step for governmental
reform the state has ever known"
During the two day meeting, the
commission pried deep into govern
mental expenditures and effected an
organization to be known as the "Ne-
vada County Commissioners associa-
tion," to pry deeper with the aim of
more efficiency.
The objects of the organization "are
to aid, encourage and promote the OBJ
servance of economy in the admins
tration of public business in the state
of Nevada and in the counties, cities,
and other political subdivisions"
While the recommendation of the
commissioners passed Tuesday are in
the nature of suggestions to the next
Legislature, those with finger on the
political pulse look upon the represen-
tatives of the sixteen counties as a
cross-section of the Nevada people and
predicted that the results of Tues
days meeting will be reflected in fu-
ture legislation.
Some of the most radical recon-
mended changes in government in
clude the consolidation of small coun-
ties, the adoption of the unicameral,
or one-house legislature, the abolition
of the state primary election law, the
abolishing of the state tax commits
sion, and the cutting of the Nevada
judiciary from II to district judges.
The projects proposed are as fol-
lows:
l. A measure to insure the pay
ment of the state personal property
automobile tax. Members declared
one-third of the revenue from this
source is lost through evasion. To
eliminate the leak, it was recommend
ed that the automobile owner be re-
quired to seek state license through
the assessors office in each county,
thereby giving the assessor a record
of the transaction for county tax col
lection purposes.
2. A flat motor vehicle license fee,
the loss in revenue to be offset by
raise in the gasoline tax. The COM
mission left to the discretion of the
legislature the amount of the fee and
the amount of increase in the present
gas tax.
8. Lower automobile valuation to
conform with the "Blue Book" resale
valuation.
A. Abolition of the state tax COM
mission and the substitution of a COM
mission composed of the chairmen of
the board of county commissioners.
S. A one-house legislature with one
representative from each county.
6. Abolition of the present primary
law.
7. The consolidation of small coun-
ties.
s. The successful candidates for the
the county commissioners shortly be-
fore the convening of the session, to
discuss matters of Importance to the
county at large.
8. That witnesses summoned to
court at state expense be allowed ae-
tual and necessary travelling expenses
over the shortest feasible route, in
aff ha nd
diem system. All items of expense
must be presented upon receipted
vouchers.
10. A uniform tax on foreign sheep.
IL. Changes in election procedure,
including the abolition of the unwieldy
and expensive register of electors in
each county.
In addition to the above recon-
mendations made by the legislative
committee and passed at the general
session other resolutions adopted are
as follows:
That the state highway law be so
| amended as to allow at least one men,
! ber of each board of county commits
sioners to be appointed by the gov
ernor as a "state highway advisory
, board" to sit with the board of direc-
tors of the state highway department
at least once annually to discuss coun-
ty highway problems.
| That the state constitution be so
amended as to permit the commission
ers to appoint officers such as justices
of the peace and constables in towns
where the number of registered voters
is less than 800.
That all expenditures by the vari-
Gus school boards, represented by the
bills allowed, be published in the news
papers in the same manner as are
other county claims.
The discussion of public school ex-
penditures, approximately $500,000
year and the largest single depart
mental expense, brought a barrage of
questions to w. j. Hunting, Nevada
superintendent of public instruction,
who addressed the commissioners last
Tuesday morning.
The commissioners voted for a re-
submission to the people for another
vote of the defeated Amendment 3"
on the last general election ballot
which favors the control by the legis-
lature, instead of the school board, of
fines collected in state penal cases.
Most of the resolutions and propos-
ais passed unanimously, although the
/ E Al II. 4