Delta chief., 1884-08-13
FUNDING TIE COUNTY DEBT.
Reply to 'sCitixen'' by ''Taxpaycr" Oh
this Important Question.

To the Editor of TIE CHIEF.
In your issue of July % some person call
ing himself "Citizen" undertook to produce
reasons why the debt Of Delta county should
not be funded this year, and having convinc-
ed himself by his own argument, concludes
that every taxpayer in Delta county should
oppose the funding of the Indebtedness this
fall" Let us examine the question and draw
our own conclusions.
A business man who becomes involved in
debt, with large expenditures necessary, and
without present available resources has but
one course to pursue, and that is to secure an
extension of time, develop his resources, re-
establish his credit make the needed outlay
and get ready for the payment Of his debt
when it becomes due. Will not the same rule
apply to our county?
The present floating Indebtedness of the
county is, in round rumbers, $1,000. OF
this the warrants issued in payment of Delta
county's portion of the old Gunnison county
Indebtedness is S1l 900; the remainder con-
sists of warrants issued to provide records for
the county clerk, county and district courts,
iuipiture for the county, paying costs of dis
tr'ct and justices courts, building roads, and
other incidental expenses. All of these war
rants are now due and unpaid. The assess
able valuation of the county is yet small, and
in order to provide for payment of this debt
.he commissioners must levy to the maxim
um limit. Most Of our property holders are
poor, having Just begun to improve their
lands, and all they can raise must be applied
in the purchase of their lands, building and
mai aintaning ditcbes and fences, aud other
expenditures incident to farming. The tax
able property of the county will soon double
in value bv the building of railroads. increase
of cattle, and the improvements upon and
patentiug of public lands and town lots. The
hard times always found in u new agrcultur-
al country will yield to plenty, and with in
creased population and prosperity the debt
which now is so burdrnsone can be easily
paid. County warrants bear ten per cent in
terest, and are payable nOD; the bonds will
bear eight per &c It Interest, payable in ten
years, or in twenty at the option of the
county, thus giving ample time to raise the
debt by an easy rate OF taxation. Besides,
these large warrants are prior to all others,
aud their payment will consume all the taxes
for the next two years. thus depreciatlng our
paper so that 81 worth of work costs 81 % i'll
warrants; piece of furniture whose cash
va aDe is $40, now costs $50, thus increasing
our debt twenty-five per cent faster than if
the debt were funded and the expenses Of the
cou oty paid in cash
:.Citizen'' gives us three "points" and no
more, as reasons for not funding, viz:
flFst-l tAptnst VI puFiHy
the bonds on The market.
Second-We must fund again. making u
similar cost 'every year or two" thus injur-
ing our credit by being often in the market.
Third--The warrant issued to Gunnison
county is withom consideration, is illegal,
and should not be paid.
These points" failing, his reason fails.
Let us see wha: they are worth.
The first point amounts To nothing, for the
simple reason that the bonds ,ciU not be
Diuce on the nidI Eet. Citizen should eS-
anime the law. We simply exchange bonds
payable in ten or twenty years, bearing eight
per cent, for warrants dtreadu issued, payable
noac and subjecs to suit. The warrant holder
says, Il will give you 81 900 in warrants for
81 200 in bonds" That's all there is of it.
The expense amounts to nothing.
Second - Citizen" dssumes that In the
Coming year" large sums will be expended
for bridges and court houses of palntial di-
mensions will be erected. This the commits
sioners have no power to do without tirst sub
mitting the question TO vote OF the people.
When the taxpayers Of the county, by their
votes authorize bonds to be issued and sold
for the purpose of raising money, then and
then only can the bonds be placed on the
market. Our taxpayers have too much sense
and too much at stake to vote this every year
or two as Citizen" says,
The object of every good citizen of the
county should be to induce immigration into
the county of good class of settlers and the
investment of capital in the development of
our boaSted resources. The first question
asked by the settler and the capitalist is,
.Whu is your rate of taxation?" If this
be high, as it must be if we levy tax to pay
this debt now, the immigrant and the capit-
alist go on to morr inviting fields.
The third point is the only one containing
even the shadow of reason for not funding,
and this when viewed by the light of facts,
law and honor, is as fimsy as the other two.
Is the warrant issued to Gunnison county
without consideration | think not but on
the contrary that the consideration for which
it was given was good, valuable and sufficient.
What is it? In consideration of this warrant
Gunnison county assumes the entire indcbt-
edness and agrees thereby to release Delta
county from all liability to Gunnison county
| and to forever warrant and defend us from
| liability to the creditors of Gunnison county,
| Gncluding Delta county.) Further, the old
| county is paying every year part of the in
| debtedness for which we were. in the Ian
| guage of the Supreme Court of California,
| liable, and for which the old county contin-
| ues LIABLE"
Since 1882 GunnsOn county has bonded
| $1jO, 900 of her debt including the portion
| due from these new counties. That county
is every year paying interest on these bonds
| in cash. They take in some Of the old war
| rants outstanding for taxes, thus paying the
old debt. IF we are liable, as ''Citizcn" says,
why do they not demand our proportion of
this from us? ....-
The County Commissioners who apporton.
ed the debt were the piroper, agents of the
county. They proceeded in the manner pre-
scribed by law to "apportion the indebted
ness and adjust the revenue" Having ascer-
| tanned the amount due to Gunnjson county