Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-12-17

One Of the most prominent prob
lens before the legislature will be
that Of western Kansas. Population
has faller off, values have decreased
and many counties have legally lost
their rights to representation in the
legislature because their vote is less
than $50. One proposition is to make
Of the SO western counties only four
and entirely reorganize the whole
western third but there are some OBJ
jections to this.
A letter from q Dodge City man
states the position Of the people Of
the Southwest about right. He says:
1.-The consolidation should be made
SO as to discommode the people as
little as possible. To make enormous
counties and subject the people to
long lines Of travel would create war.
So would it create war to make the
counties long east and west. The
lines shonld be cut so as to conform
to the trade relations Of the people.
Here is q plan which will suit the
people, because it does conform to
their natural lines Of travel and trade
relations:
"Stanton and Morton counties
should be thrown to Hamilton county,
because the towns OF johnson City
(Stanton) and Richfeld (Morton) have
practically disappeared, and the
people Of those counties have to go to
Syracuse (Hamilton) for all they buy
anyhow. 1t would be a mistake to
consolidate Morton with any territory
on the east, because 80 per cent Of
the people Of Morton county live
north Of the Cimarron sand hills, and
do their trading at Syracuse, never
going to Liberal except once in
while with cattle. Morton wants to
be attached to Hamilton il attached
at all. am advised by credible
authority that majority of the tax
payers favor this and that the same is
true Of Stanton.
"Stevens county should be thrown
to Seward, as they trade almost sx-
clusively at Liberal, Hugoton (Stevens)
having no mercantile falilities what
ever worth mentioning. Grant
should 60 to Kearney, Grant county
people along the west 60 to Syracuse
great deal, and those in the eastern
half 60 to Garden City, and it might
do to put part Of Grant and Kearney
to Hamilton and part to Finney,
but | think 1t would be wiser to throw
Grant and Kearney together. Has
kell should 60 to Finney, as they do
their trading at Garden City.
"The only towns in the territory
under consideration that are worth
anything are Syracuse, which is an
excellent trading point and growing;
Liberal, which is holding its own;
Lakin, which is holding its own also,
and Garden City. These should be
the county seats Of that territory, as
they are where the people 60 anyhow,
and the only points they can reach
without going through great stretches
Of sand. These towns, having sur
vived the wreck, ought not to be kill
ed by legislation"
There is much good sense in this
and in the further suggestion; "lf
the legislature will consolidate the
counties as above suggested and then
pass law enabling county commits
sioners to lease all property on which
taxes are not paid, these counties will
at once begin to emerge from their
disasters and larger counties will not
be necessary. There are thousands
Of acres Of land lying there upon
which taxes are delinquent and have
been for years, and the counties are
receiving no benefit from them. Let
the counties lease them and they will
all be taken up and leased for pasture
or redeemed"
Brother Fleharty Cared For.
Ed Little is getting in his work but