Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-04
THEY WANT DIVISION,

And ClamOr for 1t ON Several
Grounds, at santa Ana.
EDITORS Whatever may be
the feeling in Los Angeles against the
division Of the county, there can be no
question as to the disposition of the peo-
pie of Santa Ana, city and valley, in
favor of that measure. Aside altogether
from the natural desire of the people of
Santa Ana to become citizens of county
seat, in view Of the material advantages
which would accrue to them in conse-
quence, there is strong disposition on
their part, as we'll as on that of the rural
population, to resent the anomalous po-
sition in which they are placed by reason
OF the unconscionable delay. of tile AS
SCISSORS to notify them of the amount OF
their taxes, and the apparent incompe-
tence or ignorance of the Tax Collector
and his assistants. Here is precisely
how they are fixed: They are willing
and able to pay their taxes, but on going
to the proper Office to do 80, they are told
that the officials know nothing about the
amount due, and cannot therefore re-
ceive any sum in payment; and yet
those officials turn coolly round
and call these taxes delinquent, adding
five per cent to them. OF course
by and by--if the taxes are not paid,
that is, by the limit of time liked by law
the property will be sold for those de-
linquent and absolutely mysterious and
underlined taxes. This is justly felt by
the people here to be monstrous out
rage, and since it appears to be agreed
that no other remedy is applicable to the
emergency of the case, division of the
county must be adopted to remedy the
evil.
This, be it noticed, is not by any
means regarded by the people here as
"a desperate remedy for a desperate
evil" 1t is deemed an altogether desir-
able policy on other--and, indeed, on
all-grounds. This Imperial county"
is quite large enough, they think, to be
divided into two with beneficial results.
1t is well known that movement in the
direction of subdividing the larger States
and Territories of the Union as they be-
come more thickly populated, has been
begun and is gaining in favor with the
more clear-sighted of our statesmen for
obvious reasons; and surely the rule
which is applicable to an unwieldy State
or Territory holds good in the case
of unwieldy counties, many of which
are to be found on the map Of California.
The people consider, therefore, that the
subdivision of this county, we'll settled
as it now is and attracting, as it does, far
more immigration within its borders
than any other county in California,
would be productive of the greatest good
and immensely help the further settle.
ment of the country.
In addition to this the people would
be saved from the inconvenience, annoy
ance and absolute injustice to which they
are exposed by the evident inability of
the county officials at the present county
seat to overtake the increasing business
which the rapid settlement of the coun-
try is throwing upon their hands.
There can be no question that a con-
certed and determined effort will be
made at the coming ession of the Legis-
lature to get bill passed for the division
of the county of Los Angeles. There is
far more claimant necessity for this
than for Vandever's bill in Congress for
the division of the State, and the people
of this community at least will urge its
passage.
1t has been suggested, and the idea
seems to be the only feasible one for
relieving the aggrieved taxpayers from
their unpleasant predicament, that the
time-limit for the payment of taxes be
extended until the bewildered officials
find their heads and become able to give
the taxpayer not only civil, but an in
telligible answer when he "wants to
know, you know" ANON.
Santa Ana. January 1. 1889.