Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1929-01-05
CLARK COUNTY
BOARD WILL
CHANGE MONDAY
COMMISSIONERS
WILL TURN RElNS
OVER TO NEW

The outgoing Board of Coun-
ty Commissioners Is holding its
final session today, and on
Monday win turn over the
reigns Of county government to
the new Board.
w. J. Stewart was In his ac-
customed place as chairman
Of the Board, with COmmis-
isOners Henry Rice( Sr, and
James eastman present. The
presence Of District Attorney
Harley A. Harmon and COun-
ty Clerk VIM. L. Scott COM
pleted the attendance.
This mornings session was de-
voted to the passing OF the claims
reading Of reports Of county Of
ficers, and other routine business
This Afternoon will probably dis
pose Of all remaining affairs, in
cluding the drawing of the jury
panel for the year 1929.
Monday morning E. G. McGriff
of Las Vegas and Albert L. Jones
of Overton will be sworn in, and
viii serve with James eastman,
holdover member for the ensuing
two years.
The Outgoing Commissioners
w. ]. Stewart, chairman of the
Board of County Commissioners
for the past eight years, and
Henry Rice, S.r, who has COM
pleted ten years in the service OF
the county are the outgoing COM
missioners.
Mr.. Stewards office as chairman
of the Board of County Commits
sioners has been characterized by
conservative economy, combined
with shrewd progreSSiveness and
in this ne has been joined by MIR.
Rice.
When the outgoing Board took
office in January Of 1921, finances
were in q somewhat precar1ous
condition. There was a crying need
for highways in place Of the dirt
roads which the county had been
struggling to maintain at great
cost.
The new Board at once tackled
the Job of solving the problem OF
how to provide the needed high
ways on Our then Scant resources.
Working with G. G. Boyer, who
had Just been appointed division
engineer, they spent many days
studying maps, contours, and I'm
ances, and travelled many miles
seeking the shortest and least ex-
penSive routes. Once decided on,
the same procedure was again
gone through with Federal en-
gineers, who had refused Federal
Aid on the route which had been
adopted by the previous Board,
for two reasons. One Of these was
the probable construction OF the
Boulder Dam, and the other was
the great expense necessary IN
construction.
Too much cannot be said In
praise of Mr.. Stewards role as
"watch-dog Of the treasury" Tne
finances were not quite keeping
step with our growing needs ano
desires. The transition period dur
ing which Las Vegas began to oe-
velop q real civic consciousness re-
suited in innumerable calls upon
the county for assistance IN one
enterpriSe or another. Most OF
these calls had some merit. and II
required a great deal Of nerve ana
sound Judgment to be able 10 Gus
tin0llish the least worthy from the
most worthy, and to make only
those expenditures which could be
afforded, and which would prlne
the greatest return to the taxpay-
ers. Mr.. Stewart watched the tax
payers money as though 1t were
his own. More cannot be SAID IN
uraise Of any officer charged WIN
expenditures Of public funds.
The close Of their term OF offlce
sees the completion Of q first class
Rraveled road from the Ca11orna
10 the Arizona state lines, q large
portion of which has been oneq'
and plans practically completed tor
the oiling Of the balance. In addl-
tion they have purchased valu-
able trct Of Ind for the poor farm,
erected q first class building ana
drilling q well on the same.
These are only two Of the &C
complishments Of the old Board
which has been long on action
and abort on boasting.
To these retiring commissioners
w. ]. Stewart and Henry Rice, ST.,
the Age extends the appreciation
and thangs Of a large number OF