The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-07-25
The Apportionmsnt and Other lGattsra

CeIuIuk tut4I COuuty dAoA1 ., IOA OAAJ
by such a course can efficiency,
economy and honesty be secured
and enforced in the administration
of their matters. The less observ-
ant Q people and the less informed
concerning public acts and publis
measures, the greater the tempta-
ton to dishonest men to seek posi-
tons of trust and the greater the
danger that they will succeed, and
the treasury be looted. We do not
wish to be understood to mean
that every man is dishonest, or our
county officers, or any of them, are
dishonest. We neither think nor
assert anything of the kind. But
there are in all communities dis
honest men, and these men are only
to be deferred from seeking and OBJ
tanning positions to do harm by the
intelligent watchfulness of a we'll
informed public.
Alturas county, although blessed
with a set of officers equal in integ-
rity, ability and capacity to any in
the state, is in condition to invite
discussion and investigation into
the status of her affairs. The law
organizing Gilmore and Logan .coun-
ties (which we quote below does
an injustice to our county SO gross
that one is tempted to believe it
intentional. Yet the press of the
county-seat has been silent concern
ing the wrong, or has misrepresented
the motives of gentlemen whose
efforts have thus far prevented the
contamination of the wrong by re-
fusing to apportion the debt of old
Alturas county. Whether this has
been done intentionally or ignor-
antly we will not undertake to say.
On the part of the News Miner we
we are confident nothing has been
done with any wrongful intent. Still
the facts which might have enlight-
ened it's readers have not been stated,
and so they and the public are unin-
formed concerning the things about
which they should be well informed,
and about which they have right
to look to the local press for infor-
nation. So regarding the matter
and being DESTROYS of affording the
readers of the KEYSTONE the best
information we have been able to
obtain in regard to the refusal of
the county commissioners to APP
portion the debt under law which
both they and we regard as partial
and unjust, and we think designedly
so, we shall embody in this and
subsequent articles such data-to-
gether with the law-as we have, or
may be able to procure. The law
entitled San Act Creating and Or
ganizing Logan and Eimore," from
which we quote, reads:
SECTION Z. The Indebtedness of Altu-
ras county at the date of the passage and
of this act shall be apportioned
between the counties of Alturas, Elmore,
Logan and Bingham counties, in the same
that the taxable property of
the three counties have acquired from
Alturas county, and that the four coun-
ties bear to each other as shown by the
roll of the year 1883 in Altu-
ras county. and at their regular meeting
in April, 1889, the boards of commission |
ers Of the four counties mentioned shall |
appoint each q competent
accountant who shall meet at the town of
HALEY and proceed to audit and ascer-
tain the amount of Indebtedness to be |
paid by each of the aforesaid counties to |
Alturas county, and they shall apportion |
all moneys in the treasury of said Alturas
county in the same proportion that they
apportion the debt, but in apportioning
the debt and bonds, they shall make no
apportiC nment of the bonds issued for
the erection of the court house, or other
public buildings, in Alturas county, nor
of any cash on hand to pay said bonds
and interest, and they shall make out four
certificates, one to be delivered to the
board of commissioners of each county,
showing the total indebtedness of Alturas,
its character, whether bonded or other
wise, and also the proportion to be paid
by each county, and such accountants
shall be allowed reasonable sum for
the services, to be paid by the county
apportioning each respectively.
SEC. 8: immediately after fling the
certificate of the proportion of the indebt-
edness named in the preceding section
~, the auditors of Elmore, Logan and
Bingham counties, under the supervision
Of their respective boards of commits
sioners, must draw his warrant in the |
sum of five hundred dollars, but one war
rant may be drawn for a less amount in
order to pay fractional part Of the debt,
and not transferable, and bearing interest |
at the rate of Z per cent per annum, in
favor OF Alturas county, to the full |
amount of the Indebtedness apportioned |
10 their respective counties, the interest
On said warrants to be paid on the first
day of January aud first day of July of
each year at the Office of the county
treasurer of Alturas county, or at such
bank in the city Of New York as may be
designated by the board Of commission
srs OF Alturas county, such warrants to
be redeemed BY each county in the fol-
owing manner: Ten per cent of the total
amount issued to be paid in eight years
rom the date of issue, ten per cent annu.
sliy thereafter until ell of SAID warrants |
are paid, making the last warrants re-
1eemable eighteen years from the date Of
ssue, and the money so received from
The counties of Gilmore, Logan and Bing.
ham BY Alturas county shall be applied !
'ply to the payment of Aituras county,
Or the securities into which IL shall be |