The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-10-10
ECONOMY.

ECONOMY.
It doesn't seem hardly necessary at
this time to lecture people on this SUBJ
ject. During the past eighteen months
under the Christening hand Of Democ-
racy, willing or otherwise, people have
been induced to make so many. various,
and extended experiments in the art OF
saving that they have brought the
science almost to perfection. But there
is a phase of the subject which some
people, who are peculiarly concerned,
may not have considered carefully and
candidly. The voters of Canyon Coun-
ty have at their disposal the establish
ment of a permanent county seat.
They can locate it wherever their
pleasure dictates within the boundary
lines of this county. The question to
be determined is, where is the most
convenient and economical point.
There must not be any mistake about
this, because a mistake is going to cost
taxpayers thousands and thousands of
dollars, and they will never be able to
correct it. This is a straight matter OF
dollars and cents and directly effects
the pocket of every property holder in
the county. Hard sense will admonish
every citizen that he must be influenced
in his vote on the county seat question
by exactly the same motives which
lead him to make horse trade or en-
gage in any cold blooded business pro-
position. If you understand the first
four rules in arithmetic, you can sit
down and figure out the proper place
for the county seat to dead moral GER
tainty. Find the center of population
and, unless strong offsetting induce
ments are offered, there the county
seat ought to be. If town way off in
one corner offers bonus of $4,000 in
hard cash, consider it. Then take out
your pencil and go to figuring. Twenty
thousand dollars in cash is worth to
Canyon County $1,4OO annually, or
$500 a year for twenty years. That
is worth considering seriously. Sup
pose that town is unfortunately located
40 miles from the center of population
and that in consequence mileage
charges against the county would be
increased 60 per cent Then you ascer-
tain that the mileage paid during a
year amounts to $4,000. That $1,000
comes out of your pocket; the increased
cost would necessarily be $1,000 per
annum, or $4,000 in 20 years, against
$4,000, the amount of the bonus, in the
same time. You will at once see that
as matter of economy-a matter of
business-the $4,000 offer is not suf-
icient. Then you must demand more;
you must have enough to offset the
$500 annual increased expense. 1t
would require $4,000 to make things
even in point of actual cash. Add to
this the increased expense to indivi-
duals who are compelled to visit the
county seat on private business and
probably it is within bounds to say
that a bonus of less than $4,000 would
not compensate the citizens of Canyon
County for locating the seat Of govern
ment 40 miles from the center of popu-
lation. The figures given are purely
hypothetical, intended only to illus
trate principle and inculcate lesson
in economy. One thing, however,
ought to be insisted on absolutely, if a
bonus be offered by any town remote
from the centre of population, and that
is that it shall be cash without any
strings on it. An offer of $4,000
with provision that the money must
be applied to the purchase Of land and
the erection of buildings should not be
entertained. This county does not
want to start in housekeeping on any
such magnificent plan as that A hun
dred thousand dollars for splendor
should be no temptation. This county
seat question is a serious one from the
point of dollars and cents. Figure it
out with 8 signs before the figures and
don't be influenced by anything but
cold, unbending facts and discrimin-
ating love for the all mighty dollar.