| Show LIVESTOCK MEN AIM TO LOWER TAXES movements tor for improvement in county government arenow are now underway under way in alabama california colorado florida georgia iowa north dakota kansas missouri mississippi ohio oklahoma oregon and south carolina the search tor for ways and means of reducing the ever increasing burden of county government has led to the appointment of state commissions in california new york north carolina and virginia to study reorganization in county government in the interest of economy serious investigation of the inefficient organization 0 of the county Is also reported in glenn napa placer anu and santa darbara barbara counties california larimer bunty colorado de kalb county georgia montgomery county north th Caro carolina llna 1 county oregon A few states are just beginning to realize the inadequacy of the present county system and to experiment with a new type of government virginia under the leadership of gover nor harry byrd has manifested a progressive spirit complete merging of county governments la Is urged in the case of unusually small counties A report on county government in virginia in 1927 found a condition in that state as follows in our study of virginia county government we flere particularly impressed by the scattered disjointed and irresponsible type ot of organization that exists 1 in all the counties 1 the present county govern government me n t I 1 has no responsible head it to Is wit without h a chief administrative officer authority for carrying on the adamini stra tive work rests with many individuals vi in many counties it Is grossly political careless wasteful and inefficient counties have no executive head paul W wager of the university of north carolina in county government in north carolina says almost everywhere the county Is devoid of a dd definite finite executive head no ther other unit of government no other unit of government no other corporal corpora t llon public 0 or r private has attempted to function without leadership this lack of centralized authority in the county Is perhaps more responsible tor for the deficiencies in county administration str atlon than any other single factor divided responsibility tempts the weak man to be dishonest it encourages the plunger to be extravagant it conceals the mistakes of atif W stupid it shifts the blame to the shoulders of the innocent it nullifies ties the efforts of the prudent and it paralyzes the ambition of the senius genius i there has been ample experience to show that the attempt to secure a good chief executive by popular election Is 19 a failure it always gives us a transient amateur who never learns his bis job because he Is not allowed to stay on the job long enough A coun county la a crp corporation oration no business could avoid bankruptcy it if organized org anizel as our counties concluded next week |
