The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-09-09
Public Spirit.
NUMBER 2.I

III al tiSic Huiioci oHcs "poi tiic sup-
.ject of Public Spirit, brief reference was
made to the matter Of assessment of
property and taxation. This subject is
worthy of further attention. Prudence
as well as public spirit would dictate
that while the county is in debt, assess.
ments should approximate more nearly
to actual valuation, until that indebted
ness is removed. True the debt which
amounts to something over six thousand
dollars is not very heavy one, but it
is sufficient to depreciate the credit of
the county twenty-five per cent below
par. Aside from certain legal fees al
lowed to county officers from out of the
county treasury, debts contracted by
the county and by officers Or others on
behalf of the county, are payable only
in U. S. gold coin or its equivalent.
The county being in debt, and conse-
quently having no funds to pay such
charges, must issue an order for suili-
cicnt amount to cover the discount on
county orders in the market; for ex-
ample, if the debt is ten dollars, and or
ders are worth eighty cents on the dol
lar, the order must be drawn for twelve
dollars and half to pay ten dollars in
coin. Thereafter, instead of ten dollars
to draw interest, there will be twelve
dollars and a half, one fourth more to
pay interest upon and sometime to re-
deem at par, than there would have
been had the county been cut of debt
with money in the treasury to pay run
ming expenses. And even more than
this, for the interest on the ten dollars
must also be included, which would
have been saved to the county had the
county been out of debt. Now what
are the figures on this supposed case at
the end Of a yer after the order has
been issued. FIRST, two dollars and half
for discount; second, interest on twelve
dollars and a half, which at ten per
cent is one dollar and twenty We cents,
making a total amount due from the
county of thirteen dollars and seventy.
five cents, or three dollars and seventy
five cents; over one-thrd, more than
the original claim called for. What
man in his private business would long
work against such odds: would think
he could afford to pay thirty-scvcn per
cent interest per annum' The welfare
of the county stands upon the same ba-
SIS as that of an individual. Figures
won't lie for one sooner than for the
other. The local government of Clarke
county is not an expensive one. The
Financial Exhibit for the year ending
May lst, 1876, shows the total number
of allowances during the year to be &c.
IO5.S9. We boast of being the third
county in the territory in point of pop
ulation. Six thousand dollars is com
paratively small sum for the running
expenses of the local government of
County of the size and Importance of
Clarke. The county should raise from
taxes alone the round sum of $4,000
per annum. Such sum, each year,
would very soon discharge the debt
and leave balance in the treasury to
devote to the construction of public
buildings, bridges, roads and other
much needed improvements. Under
such policy, how much better a show
ing the county would p,akc abroad.
How much more satisfied and ndepend-
ent our own people would feel, know
ing that their debts were discharged,
and that the funds in the treasury were
such as to render county orders worth
their face in the market, afford more
and better means for education, and fos-
ter those public improvements which