The record-union., 1893-01-16

II tne FORMER Dill becomes law river
| side will start with tax levy on an as
sessed valuation of Sl3,O00,000, and with
out single cent of Indebtedness. Better
| than this, the new county will draw from
the old organization a sum generally
| estimated at Sl50,000.
Now as TO the other scheme If San
Jacinto County is formed according to
( the boundaries as proposed, she win com
mence life with valuation of only $4,000, :
600, and thus it follows as a matter of ne
cessity that i'll the former the tax rate will
be low and in the latter it viii be high
much higher than at the present time.
The local pride of the San Diego peo-
pie IN pushing 10 advantage their own
section IS certainly to be commended, but
sentiment forms rather slim basis for
material prosperity, and has been sue
cessful only as foundation for religious
faiths. Governments of whatever order
are, or should be, managed on strictly
business principles, and from business
standpoint the San Jacinto measure is on
Its lace dream and delusion
IL has not now, nor has it ever received
anything like unanimous support from
property y-holders residing in the district
seeking division. On the contrary, d very
large number of citizens have decided
1or riverside and opposition opinion has
all along been hept warm by political
agitators from San Bernardino, who have
been forced to the usual devious methods
OF political rings, in AN attempt to defeat
a bill, which, If passed, would put the
rich and rapidly growing orange center
forever out of the reach and control of a
system that has worked hardship from
its inception.
San Bernardino has been singing a
SIRENS song to the people of Northern
San Diego, interspersed with long-drawn
protestatlonS of sincere friendship. San
Diego listened, but she has not been
lured.
side
San Jacinto, Elsinore and other towns
! included in the proposed boundaries will
| DO likewise if Left to work out the prob
lem of present advantage and future
prosperity for themselves.
+. j. Swope, Director in the Pleasant
Valley and San Jacinto Irrigation Com
pany, IN recent interview, neatly
points out the sophistry Of San Bernar-
uIho's ant!-dlVlslon arguments. In the
| interview referred to Mr.. SWOpe saws:
Il want San Jacinto in a county with
riverside, for the same reason that San
| Bernardino wants to keep Riverside in
| her county-for the assessed valuation of
Riverside. San Bernardino proposes that
! If riverside goes out it will leave only an
assessed valuation of SI6,000,000. This re-
| duced amount in assessed valuation will
make 1t burden for San Bernardino
County to raise the necessary taxes to
run It's county government Yet they
tell us San Jaclnto people that an assessed
valuation of less than 81, 600, 600 is suffi-
clent tor us to run a county government
| on"
| But aside from the matter of taxation
there are many other reasons strenuously
urged by the divisionists in the advocacv
OF what seems 10 them an important and
necessary issue. Many of these argu-
ments have already been set forth in the
| columns of the RECORD UNION. Others
may be found in the following interviews
| with citizens who represent different sec
/ tions of the vast territory to be affected
| by the measure now under discussion:
| Senator III. M. Streeter of San Diego.
when asked for an expression of opinion
concerning county division matters in
| his section, talked as follows: 81 think
the passage OF the bill for the formation of
/ riverside County would be of great bene-
! tit to the horticultural interests of the
! State. The reputation which Riverside
has gained would be the means of a
rapid increase OF the population of the
new county. l have conversed with
many of the people of Northern San
Diego, and there has been no exception
to the opinion expressed, that the value
of land would be materially enhanced in
that section by the union with Riverside
We should have more economical and
efficient county government than either
San Bernardino or San Diego have at
present. The city of Riverside is the best
and most inexpensive governed city in
the State; the same would be true of the
county. Anyone who understands the
conditions, and is anxious for the growth
and prosperity of the State. will favor
Riverside County,"
George Frost, California pioneer who
has played an important part in the phe-
nomenal development of Riverside, had
this to say concerning the proposed
county.
"Of course I am in favor of Riverside
County, in common with other citizens of
my section and many in San Diego
County. | feel sure that our appeal will
recommend itself to the early ana favor
able consideration of the members of this
Legislature, whom | regard as the ablest
body of Lawmakers that has ever as
sembled i'll Sacramento. In political
way, however, l can say nothing as TO the
outlook for the passage of our bill. [
suppose that the Senatorial contest has
delayed active work in this regard, but
as L said before, l have no doubt as TO its
ultimate success.
County division must come sooner or
later ii the people demand it, and | think
there Is no doubt that we are a unit on
the matter of separation. This being the
case, why not have it settled at once
Then our energies could be devoted to
that development to which we now point
with just degree of pride"
In reply TO the question, "Why are Won
In favor OF the Riverside bill ?'J Assem-
blyman c. 0. Barker Of Banning said:
The section OF country embraced in
the proposed Riverside County is rich in
natural resources. The most of IL is
sparsely populated. Irrigation is neces-
sary. The very nature OF the country
forbids large ranching. That portion Of
the State must be developed by dividing
up the country into small holdings, and
by a system of intensive farming. Large
portions of the county are already trib1-
tary to possible water systems. The sec
ton is rapidly settling up, and the peo-
work now ask for better facilities for
local self-government. They have some
S13, 100000 assessed valuation and can
support the class of county thev ask for
on the present assessed valuation by a
tax rate of 81 25 on 500. This is less tnan
the tax rate in either San Diego or San
Bernardino Counties. | own grain and
fruit land on the Southern Pacific Rail-
road in San Diego County which is 10
miles from the county seat. 1t takes
three days to 60 to San Diego and return
from the place where I live. 1t costs at
least S25 a trip. This is too much of a tax
in time and money on business men.
Many Of the people of this portion of San
Diego County have never visited the
county seat. A very large majority of the
property-holders within the boundaries
of the proposed Riverside County are
anxious for it's formationr
Frank A. Miller OF Riverside, one of
Governor Markham's recent appointees
as Insane Asylum Trustee, returned to
Sacramento yesterday after a few days'