Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1926-04-29
GOVERNMENT
N. G. COUNTIES
Headless, Irresponsible, Wasteful and
Inefficient, Says University
Authority


of the University of North Carolina,
writes as follows for Southern Agri-
culturist:
Except in a few counties, county
government in North Carolina is
headless. Irresponsible, wasteful and
inefficient. This is probably no more
| true of North Carolina counties than
of most of the other 5000 counties in
the United States.
A quarter of century ago James
Bryce made such strong indictment
against American city government
that the cities were ashamed, and
hundreds of them have since reor-
ganlzed in the interest of efficiency
and honesty. More than 800 cities are
now operating under a commission or
commission-manager plan.
State governments are also being
reorganized in the direction of sim
plification, centralized control and
business efficiency. AS the functions
of government increase and taxes
multiply, taxpayers are compelled to
demand that government be admins
tered on the same level of business
efficiency as any other corporation.
county government is largely
rural government, so it is the farmers
job to drive the politician from the
courthouse.
There are 100 counties il North
Cornlina In 1Q10 thax,
proximately $5,OO0,OOO, and had a
bonded debt of $5,OOO,OOO. In 1925
they spent $35,O00,OO0, and had
bonded debt of 100000. The
per capita tax for county and school
purposes in 1910 was 1913. In 1925,
it was $13.46. In 1910 the per
capita debt was 1925; in 1925 it had
risen to $3.50. The per capita state
debt rose from 1926 to $6O.54. 1t
does not follow. however, that there
is any more waste proportionately
Probably the North Carolina farmer
is getting more for each dollar he
pays in taxes than ever before. This
is because there is no state puroperty
tax, and all the property tax he pays
is spent within the county. Still, he
is not getting maximum returns, for
the simple reason that county gov
ernment is not organized, equipped
and stated to meet its enlarged re-
sponsiblities. A form of government
that served very we'll when the func-
tions were few and simple, and ex-
penditures amounted to only $4,000
a year, falls down when functions be-
come technical and expenditures
mount to $35O,O0O a year.
The North Carolina constitution
provides for the popular election of
the following officials: board of COM
missioners, treasurer, register of
deeds, surveyor, sheriff, clerk of su-
perior court, and coroner. The first
four, however, may be modified,
chang ed or abrogated" by statute of
the general assembly. In about one
fourth of the counties the treasurer
ship has abolished as an elective Of
flee, and bank is selected by the
commits sionerS as fiscal agent. The
commissioners have general fiscal
and administrative powers. They de-
ternine for what purpose county
money el,ll re spent and they deter
mine the tag levy. They may buy
or sell property or incur an indebt-
edness in the name of the county.
They have general supervision over
oil octI II hot
school matters have been delegated to
a school board, and in many coun-
ties highway construction and main
tenance has been delegated to a
separate road board. Tax listers and
assessors are appointed by the com
missioners, and in most counties the
sheriff acts as tax collector, as well
as police officer. The sheriff or
one of his deputies acts as jailer. The
superior court meets two, three, or
four times year in each county. In
few counties there is an inferior
court known. as recorders court
which may have jurisdiction over the
entire county, or only within par
ticular city. In most counties there
is no inferior court except the JUS
tice of peace courses. There are nu-
merous justices of the peace in each
county, but only few are active,
They no longer have any administra-
tive powers, but are simply petty
magistrates. They have lost the i'm
portance and dignity that they once
possessed.
1t will be seen from this enumera-
tion that there are eight or ten sepa-
rate departments in county govern
ment, with no coordination and no
responsible executive headship. In a
limited way the commissioners are the
head of the county, but they cannot
exert any real control over officials
who are elected by popular vote in
the same manner as themselves. Even
if they had the authority, how can
they keep up with county business
when they meet only one day a
month, and then have score of