, 1890-01-23
FOR THE NEW COUNTY
Two Rosalia Correspondents Who
Think Taxes Ought to Be
Reduced,
Rosy LA, Wash Jan. 90.

" lHt nun W lllI INV NliNf
VIII you please allow some space
In your columns that we may
furnish few thoughts on the sub
jCct Of creating n new county from
portions of Spokane and Whitman
counties?
In your columns of the 18th YOU
say: "Tho bill now pending in the
legislature to divide Spokane and
Whitman ties and form new
county should not be allowed to pass
until the residents Of the counties
have given their consent by ballot
on the question of the proposed seq
gregation."
The constitution does not say In
any place that the propos tion OF
forming new county shall hc Sub
mitted to II vote of the residents of
the counties from which the new
county l. to he created.
You would have the public he.
lievo that the residents Of the pro.
posed new county are perfectly ig-
norant of such "a proposition being
presented To the legislature.
the matter at all. The subject has
livc years, and met with general
approval. The call for the voters of
the several precincts to meet and
hold primaries ut their usual places
Of voting and elect delegates to II
convention TO be- held at ROsalia,
Wash, ON November 90, last, was
duly published by bills being cir
ctllatcd and posted in all parts Of
the country, a. well as notification
through the several publications.
Delegates from the several precincts
met ut Itosaliu with proper crcdcn-
tiOls. After proper organization the
subject was fully discussed, and by
Il vote of - against II 1t was de-
cidcd to petition the legislature to
form u new county according TO the
boundaries established by the con.
ycntion, The proceedings were pub
lished in full.
There was Il committee of five rep
resentatlve men appointed by the
chairman of the convention (by
order of resolution adoptcd) to for
mulnte II petition and circulate the
same In boundaries of the new
county. Copies Were sent to differ
ont individuals to obtain bona iide
signatures. There were fully three
tourths of the voters names in the
territory obtained In their own
handwriting.
You say "thc general complaint
is-with the attorneyS--thut the
county of Spokane is too small.
Court business II very light lfthcrc
was any more, when would they
ever get through with the docket?
Many very important cases are put
otf from time to time, causing great
trouble and expense. Spokane
county at present has an area of
1900 square miles and Whitman
county AN area of 900 square miles,
about equal to some of the Eastern
states. They could be divided 50 as
to make one more large county and
al be large enough.
The bill should he allowed to pass.
First, because the residents of the
proposed new county have pcti-
TONED for II, and because the coun-
ties are so large there Is IA great loss
Of time and expense to those living
in the remote portions Of the
county.
Second-Bccausc the counties are
so large and the business is so ex-
tensive the regular county officers
nave To have so many deputies;
there is too heavy taxation and the
business il not attended to prop
erly,
Because the proposed hill is
~ iftltfntNtl hfa
other Section 2s, specification ~,
of article >, points out the manner
of procedure which may be followed.
II reads rs follows:
"Changing county lines, locating
or changing county seats; provided,
this shall not be construed to apply
to the creation of new counties ~
Further, because the petition.
crs have not violated section 3.
Of article | of thc constitution as
Ii applies To the formation of new
counties, 1t rcad- as follows: "No
new county shall he established
which shall reduce any county to
population less than 1000, nor shall
u new county he formed containing
II less population Than 1000. There
shall be no territory stricken from
any county unless u majority of the
voters living In such territory shall
petition therefor, and then only
under such conditions as may lie
prescribed by II general law uppli-
cable to the whole state"
We claim that general law has
been passed in the adoption of the
constitution. 1t gives the lcgisla-
turc power to enact special law to
create new county mt any time
they see lit to do so, and that is
the only power to create new
counties. The population of Spo-
kane county could not be reduced
to a population less than 1000
when Spokane Falls claims more
than 10000 alone, nor would Whit
man county be reduced to u much
ess population than Spokane coun-
ty, and the new county would have
over 1000 population, MS there are
that number of voters at tine pres
ent; and the new county would
contain an area of 200 square
miles, most all of which Is we'll
adapted to agriculture, so II would
be one of the best supported coun-
lies In the state.
From published interviews had
with few of the business men of
Spokane Falls, "a they appeared in
the REVIEW of the 18th, one would
think the only reason they have for
not wanting the southern part of
the county stricken Off IL because
they want that portion to help pay
the expense of building new court
house and Jail In the nea- future.
They wish to do all the calling and
play the fiddler, while the farmers
do the dancing and pay the expense
of he nuualc