The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-05-28
SAN JUAN COUNTY SISAsCEs.


The TrutA Abeus Taxes. Debt aaA the
County Tuads.
FRIDAY HARBcR, May 26-fSpeciai r
There 10 so much Misunderstanding In the
minds of the people Of San Juan county
relative 70 the county's financial Affairs, %
. result Of gross INTERPRETATIONS Per
sistentiy repeated, due sither TO ignorance
of the facts or intention 70 injurs, thst the
readers of the Posr-IxTEILiaEscsR here
and throughout the county will read with
interest and satisfaction . plain statement
Of the situation a. 1t really is. The total
population Of the county does not reach
5000. and IL probably little less. TIE
assessed valuation of real and personal
property is . little over 81 000, 600. upon
which the tax levy of 1898 amounted to
$3o.577i4. Of which $i4.772s 80 has bssn
paid and $125.A rebatsd. leaving balance
OF 1865. - nov delinquent. or . little over
one-fourth of the total, whereas 1t u we'll
known that In many Of the larger counties
of the state the delinquency this year
10 upwards Of so per cent On the
roll of 1892 the delinquency In only 81. s67.
and on that Of 1901 only $6s6 81 The
county has no bonded Indebtedness and
the entire amount Of warrants now out
standing is $l3. .7s3. -. s., 2j6 ~ having been
called in and paid since the lst Of April.
and there are only about $500 Of bills
against the county for which warrants
have not been issued. There are twenty
two school districts in tho county and the
value of school property 10 placed ut &ii0.-
00o The total amount Of school bonds is
only &, 600, in two districts only. 5000 be-
ing in Friday Harbor districs and 500 in
Olga district The aggregate Of the saiar-
les Of all county officers for the fiscal year
ending July ]. 1904, is only "a. i96as. in
Guiding the per diem and mileage Of the
assessor. school superintendent and county
commissioners. Fees collected by all off,
Gers for eleven months have amounted TO
$9l39O, Of which the auditor collected
$5ss. s., the clerk &36i 20. and the sheriff
only 1885. On the ist OF April thsrs was
s.. os1. 90 in the state fund; $50. 20 in the
military fund $37.55 in the interest fund;
s. Oos - In the general county fund;
$4.soG. 65 in the general school fund t932. So
road and bridge fund, and $2sl 10 in the
soldiers' relief fund.
Eo. the past two years the market for
agricultural and horticultural products
has been poor. and a. . consequences there
is not much money in circulation, and
though the richest is not poor the poorest
seem 10 live In abundance. No man has
been known to leave the county TO Join
the industrial army" and even Popu-
lism has taken but little root here yet.
for the administration Of county affairs
has been such ~ TO afford little excuse for
the spread OF the chimerieal doctrines OF
the third party. While there are many
farmers, 20 called. who do not seem 70
take kindly to the work necessary TO In
crease the acreage and production, there
are many who are making substantial
improvements year BY year and adding
greatly to the value Of their holdings.
Orchards are increasing In number and in
size. and the fruit product OF the islands.
Siready large. will In few years Be inn
rnense The fisheries. too. are beginning
10 attract attention. The herring indus
try of WAldron island IL well established,
and the site 10 now being cleared and
graded here for one OF the largest cam
nsriss on the Sound. for which Banker
Devlin and Mr.. Keen, Of Astoria. are put
ting up most OF the money. The cannery
equipped for operation, with boats. nets.
etc. wil. cost about rs. .000. and employ
nfty Cinnamon and twenty TO twenty-five
white men. Sheriff Thomas. who with
has brother has been engaged for tho past
two years in smoking and drying herring
on W aidron island. IL interested I'M the
project, and has charge Of tho work nov
being done here. All things considered.
the county 10 IN really excellent condition,
and the people have much isss cause for
classification and complaint thsn hsvs
the peopss of the cities ana Of the more
populoas agricultural counties Of the In
terscr.
Editor Coatsn fs JAN.