Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1893-05-18
SOME PLAIN FACTS.

Nhatwas formerly the western part of BENTON
county has always been an avaricious commuui-
N, and the people OF the eastern portion
thought, when It was set of into county by
itself its demands of Benton would cease, hut
there were some OF Benton's belongings 1t for.
got to take when it left us and 1t wants to con,
tinue, The last demand is made by tho county
court OF Lincoln county and is for portion Of
Benton county's school fund, and II it is not
given up the school superindent OF Benton ia
to be reported to the said county court What
will become of Mr.. Bryan when he gets into the
hands of the Lincoln county court It is difficult
10 determine.
The entire tax roll for Lincoln county was
turned over to that county before any taxes
had been collected by the sheri n OF Benton, and
the sheriff of Lincoln is now engaged in collect.
ing the taxes for that county, including the
school tax. The demand for a division of the
school money collected on property within the
limits of Benton county is based on what is
clearly an error in the bill establishing the new
county.
Sec. II, of the bill says; at shall be the duty
OF the superindent of schools for Benton county
within 60 days, etc, etc, and he shall also at
the same time of making the approtionments
of the school fund for the year lS9S appor,inn
to the various school districts within Lincoln
county their pro rata proportion of said school
fund the same US II said county had not been
created and organized"
This section of the bill was copied bodily, OK.
cept as TO dates and names OF counties from the
bill creating Wsllowa county from Union in
1887. That bill properly assumed that the
school taxes would be collected before the net
went into effect, in which case It would be prop.
er for the old county to divide It's school fund
with tho new county, Whether the i.alns.s oi
the Lincoln county bill made the same assump.
tion, or whether that provision of the section
was overlooked, is not clear, but the demand Of
the Lincoln county court is clearly enough an
injustice.
1t ought to be understood that no court Of
equity would hold that lincoln county Is en-
titled to any share Of the school money collect
cd on Benton county property.
The above malicious and mislead-
ing article is from the columns of
the Corvallis Gazette, That there
are differences arising out and from
the division of the county has been
anticipated, aud perhaps could not
be we'll avoided at this late date,
There was time when calm and
judicious action on the part of each
county court would have avoided
all litigation between the two coun-
ties hut the county court of Benton
county refused to meet the court of
Lincoln county and adjust all diff.
ferences arising in all amicable
manner, even after the county Judge
of Benton had specifically agreed
as to time and place of such meet.
ing The time for an amicible adj
judication seems to be now past,
as Lincoln county does not desire
to lose every right that belongs to
her, and in her appeal to the courts
will ask that the exact provisions
CT the special statute be fully car
ried out.
AS these matters must come be-
fore court Of law for adjudication
we have refrained from comment
ing upon the evident attempt to
harass and hinder the workings of
the new county. We have believ-
ed, and do believe yet, that the best
element of Benton county are op-
posed to the counties being plunged
into needless and expensive litiga-
ton. But the words of the Gazette
are so plainly intended to create a
sentiment i'll favor of these schemes
that it is not right to keep facts
longer from the public.
In the first paragraph the writer
asserts that what was the west half
of Benton county, now Lincoln, has
always been aiiavaricious commun-
ity. Now for the facts. Prior to
the creation of Lincoln county there
had been expended for county i'm
provements of all kinds by Benton
county in the western part about
5000 for wagon bridge at Wald-
port. That was all the western
part of Benton evergot. The east
ern part had bridges innumerable,
all $50, 900 court house, thousands
of dollars expended on roads, and
the western part paid nearly one
third of the taxes. These are facts
and the man that says this savors
OF avarice is fool or speaks with
out knowledge.
The Gazette wishes to know what
will become Of Mr.. Byan ifhe refuses
to perform the plain mandate of
the law-making power. For his
benef! we will say that if Mr.. Bry-
an fails to apportion his school funds
according 10 the statute made and
provided, that his bondsmen will in
all probability have TO make upt he
portion Of money properly belong