Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-05-16

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ton to the assessed property OF each.
Then let all the commissioners again
meet, confer together As to the fair.
ness of the apportionment. and if it
be considered unjust to any one of
the counties let them 60 to work in
their deliberstive, administrative, and
executive capacities and make it just
and acceptable to all parties inter>
ested. This is what could and should
be done. it they would perform q
sacred duty they owe TO the people.
Let the movement be made at least
with an honest purpose, and should it
not succeed, they cannot be longer
charged with reckless extravagance
and collision with lawyers. Then it
will be time enough to employ law.
yers, and not till then.
The bondholders care not how the
indebtedness may be settled as be.
tween the counties. All they want is
their money, principal and interest, to
which they cannot be deprived in the
end, and the sooner the matter is
settled, fairly and amicably, the sooner
they will get the interest which has
been u"jus.ly withheld. It would also
save to them much needless and ex-
pe":iye litigation !
If the assessed property Of the
counties in 1883, fixed by the division
act as basis for apportionmens of
the debt, be considered to be unfair at
the present time, let = new basis be
agreed to by all the commissioners,
aud let them sign such an agreement.
1t would be better that time and
trouble be taken to spportion the
debt each year to each county in pro.
portion to the assessed proparty of
each, than to have an interminable
lawsuit on hand, which cannot end
but IN sore distress and disaster to
the people. And how would it finally
end, anyway? 1t would end in no
other way than We have pointed out.
The courts would declare that all
property must pay its eqnsl share of
taxation in payment Of the bonds aud
interest. The outcome of years of
litigation would result in no other
basis of settlement, but it would i'm.
poverish and antsgonize the innocent
taxpayers OF each county, one against
the other.
The Heral'l seems to realize At last
that what the TIMES stated all along,
during the past six years, was and is
true. 1t is very poor satisfaction for
us, to be sure, as the harm done is
irreparable. But as it may possibly
lead the taxpayers to think over the
matter and, even, take some action in
the direction indicated by the Herald,
we unhesita.ingly approve of the plan
OF settlement, as calculated to stop all
expense not already incurred. That
is to say, the lawyers already having
their retainere, are paid for all they
have done so far, and will doubtless
be willing to close the matter at once
it they see that the people wish it
closed.
Before going further in this discus.
sion, we, however, wish to set our
contemporary Alright concerning the
lawyers: The latter are not to blame
for the existing entaneIement. The
Herald man and few chronic howl.
ers for division such rs he was, are to
blame for it oil. The trouble exist.
ing. the iniquitous apportionment of
the debt having been an unavoidable
of the infamous division,
the courts having to be appealed to,
the lawyers became necessary. To
be sure, they have charged enormously
for their services; but for that they
are not to blame. Those to blame for
his are the incompetent commits
'ioners who so exsravagantIy sqsan-
der the peoples money.
Bnt the fight is "on," and the ques,
lion is how to stop it? There is only
one way to stop it, and that is. with.
out trickery and with desire to show
The same spirit of fair play that the
people of Gilmore and Logan counties
desire 10 be shown them, to submit q
fair proposition to the people of AL.
turas.
The passage Of the division act alb
reduced the valuation of real
property rs to 80 per cent. This can
be easily ascerta,ned by an examina.
ton of the tax roll which is substau.
TALLY sworn to by each individual
making = return and which is correct.