The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-07-04
IN THE COUNTY COURT.
semi-Annual Report to the Tax Payers.
of Clatsop County.

p, oregon:
cit again becomes the duty of your ,coun-
ty officials to present to you the semi
annual account Of their stewardship from
January to June 30. 1896, which Is given
in detail In the certified statements Of
Mr.. F. 1. Dunbar, County Clerk; Mr.. d.
L. Ward, Treasurer and Mr.. ]. w.
Hare, Sheriff.
With these reports you will have had
financial statements for the past year,
and since the present county officials as
summed their duties. Taken together
with the former report We find that on
July !, 1894, Clatsop county's outstanding
warrants as per experts report were
$73,728.22; cash in general fund, H,751.I;
amount outstanding warrants excess Of
cash, $71,976.S5; warrants outstanding on
July J., 1895, sSl,SSG.T6; cash in the general
fund, $15,569.93; amount OF outstanding
warrants excess of cash, $67, ,316.23; net re-
duction In outstanding warrants paid,
$4,660.62; interest warrants redeemed
(statement December, 1894), 81, ,396.77;
interest warrants redeemed (statement
January, 1885, $6,034.4O; amounts trans
ferred to state fund, $34S8O; net gain dur
ing past year, $12,450.61. The present total
liabilities and resources are fully shown
by the county clerks report. (You will
observe by the financial statement that
there is $9,54O.26 held In the General Fund
subject to pay warrants that have been
called; the balance of cash in treasury,
mostly received from sheriff June 29th,
will pay all outstanding warrants up to
July 1st, 1922
Since my last report the county court
received through the attorneys of ex-
Sheriff H. A. Smith, who had sued this
county for $165S6 for collection of delin-
quent taxes for 1893, a proposition to set
tie his claim provided the county would
pay him $500, to be repaid to the county
out Of his costs, due from delinquent
taxpayers. Upon the advice of Messrs.
]. H. Smith and ]. @. A. Bowlby, the
county attorneys, and the county court,
wishing to relieve many innocent credit
ors Of Smith, and believing It for the best
interests of the county, decided to ac-
cept the proposition. We found a few
days later that Smith had absconded AS
near as can be learned, the claim he sued
for will not cost the county over $780,
The exact amount can not be ascertained
until the delinquent taxes assigned the
county are paid.
The failure of the last Legislature to
amend the law requiring the sheriff to
levy upon each separate tract or lot
of land sold for taxes continues to be not
only a great and unnecessary expense to
the delinquent tax payers, but results in
actual loss to the county, especially on
suburban plated property. This and er-
roneous assessments prior to 1894, we find
has reduced our assets from tax sale
purchases about 20 per cent.
The salary and fee law enacted by the
last legislature is an outrage upon the
Alt, ,ta1
litigation at the expense of the county
This law, which will be found on page
50, laws of 1880, reads as follows:
"Sec. 5. 1t shall be the duty of the
several clerks of the circuit and county
couats in the state at the time of the
suit action, or proceeding for the enforce
ment of private rights, including appeals
writs of review and proceedings in pro
bate, including petitions for probate Of
Wills for letters of administration ant
complaints In will contest, action or pro
ceedings, to exact from the plaintiff ol
moving party in said suit, action or pro
ceedingi the sum of ten dollars In al
cases where the amount in controversy
exceeds the sum of five hundred dollars
and five dollars in all cases where th'
| amount in controversy is five hundred
dollars or less, except In probate pro
| ceedings, where ten dollars shall be re
| quired to be paid before the filing of any
petition hereinafter mentioned"
This will greatly reduce the fees for
| merly paid into the county, and civi
cases will often cost the county severa
times the amount received. The law Il
| apparently in the interest of those witt
bring suits and should be repealed.
The county court has called the atten
A. arxrfaro m hA
sity of Immediately repairing the severa
county roads, so that the work may b.
performed during dry weather. There ha
already been apportioned to the roat
districts and the city of Astoria this yea
| the sum of e5,S42.66. BY the 1st of Angus
we can appropriate $2,S9913, the balanc
| collected for the road fund. This will
give each distrist nearly one-half more
| to be added to the amounts of their for
mer apportionments. The city of Astorii
| paid and receives nearly two-thirds o
these sums, to expend on her streets. l
is Impossible to build or improve in I
satisfactory manner about 222 miles
roads in this heavily timbered count!
with $500 per mile raised by the 2-mil
levy and road poll-tax.
| The question then Is, What are we go
| ing to do? Nearly every man, woman ant
| child in the county, every politician Il
| the city and county, were discussing be
| fore the last election the important cues
ton of better roads and how to obtail
them; and every. newspaper In the cit
was demanding good roads. The count,
court has faithfully endeavored to @ulhl
every promise, has travelled over tn
county at the request of the taxpayer
and citizens to give information regardin
roads, and am convinced that the onl
practicable way to build good roads Il
this county, where so much land is owne
by non-residents, has been fully explain
ed. The means suggested has worke
well In other states, and If the citizen
| of Clatsop prefer to listen to- obstruction
lists who want the county for a stoc
| range, they will not have any roads Il
to travel in winter, and only themselve
to blame. Possibly some of the latte
can offer some more satisfactory solutio
| of this important question; If so, the peo
| pie in general would no doubt like I
hear from them.
i The matter of more room in which t
do the business of this county Is abso
lutely necessary. The present cour
house was built R years ago. 1t Is no
only unsafe and very inconvenient, bu
1t is a disgrace to Clatsop county an
lne poorest uOuSc III lulo
| A four or FIVE mill tax for two years
with $500 receivable from property he'll
by the county under tax sale, will con
struct building that you will be prou
OF.
In conclusion / would call your atten
ton to the complete reports Of the coun
ty clerk. sheriff and treasurer. which full
ly show the financial condition of thi
county. I hope this will receive the com
mendation from the people that muc
careful and honest work entities them tc
Some complaints have been made abou
the amount Of clerical help employed Il
these offices, but every reasonable per
son knows that correct accounts canno
be kept without sufficient and competen
assistants. Much extra clerical help ha
been caused by the purchase and re
demption of delinquent property. Tn
extra cost is finally repaid the county II
penalties collected.
Respectfully submitted.
]. II. d. GRAY,
County Judg