The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-05-23
CREDIT WHERE 1T BELONGS

Sheriff Durbln Alone Originated the Plan
for Securing an Accurate Tax Roll.
desire TO add few words Of COM
mendation made by the CAPITAL JoUR.
NAL, OF this city, commenting on an ar
ticle which appeared In the Woodburn
Independent recently, regarding the
present nominee for sheriff, Frank w.
Durbin. The article In question and la
substance is either an ignorant or else
a wiliul misrepresentation OF the facts,
and attempts 10 rob Sheriff Durbin Of
very creditable piece OF work on his
part, and accredits il TO Assessor Hobart
who was not the originator Of the plan
for making an accurate roll Of the delin-
'quent tax property. Not content with
this, Il adds smother charge, that Of
"sailing into Office under ialse colors, 4"
which plainly shows that the matter Of
selling property for taxes is not alto
gether the only motive prompting the
article. A general effort 10 injure Mr..
Durbin. is apparently, inasmuch as the
facts OF the subject matter are so will
fully sacrahced aud cOlored for the sole
purpose OF benefitting some person
other than Mr. Durbin
Now, az 10 the fact of the matter, and
In Justice 10 Sheriff Durbin, feel free
TO say, (having been placed in a position
10 observe) that Mr.. Durbin, az soon as
he became familiar with the duties Of
his Office, at once detected (as man
Of his ability would the fact that II the
tax-rolls we're properly prepared with
good descriptions and correct names OF
owners Of the land-something never
before done with the rolls--that the
would sell ami bring good re-.
turns 10 the county. Seeing the extreme
and expediency Of such a
change being made n the rolls he at
once began to advocate and set forth
the worth of such move. Those who
are in any way familiar with the tax
rolls know aud can at once see the im-
portance of having good. clear descrip-
tiOns OF each piece Of property 10 be
sold, But little argument is necessary
10 any one at all familiar with the tax
rolls, After some personal effort Mr..
DuTbin went before the County Court
and laid the matter before it, and the
Court at once seeing the efficacy Of the
exercised its good judgment
aud ordered the work to be done. This
work was done under contract and was
a gigantic task. Accuracy being the
the preparation OF these
rolls, correct ia every particular, As.
sumed stupendous work. The work
was done by Frank w. Waters, OF this
city, "A person having some 10 years ex-
perience i'm handling all manner OF rec
orls, aud wholly competent to perform
the work, rs the work proved for itself.
When this work OF preparing the rolls
was completed. and the books turned
over 10 ihe sheriff the latter immediate
ly collected all the taxes, except the
personal property tax. which would be
impossible Tor him 10 collect The
assessor in no way was concerned In the
matter, other than 60 ccomndate Mr..
Waters, aud his corps Of assistants. lie
had nothing 10 do with the "clear de.
furnished, and did not
stand at the back Of the sheriff as II IL
alleged IA the articles in the Woodburn
paper II the assessors work brought
the buyers, and the sheriff simply did
as the court ordered him to DO, why was
any contract let 20 Mr.. Waters3 II |
these clear" descriptions were TO he
had In the assessor's office, why did the
court 70 10 a useless expenditure OF hay-
ing II done by some one elseG II they |
we're 20 be had, Mr.. nurhin would have |
known IL, aud not have leen before the |
court asking for that which he already |
had IL Is 80 self evident that the facts !
have been misrepTeSented Ia the Wood |
burn paper, Ia order 10 beittle MIR. Dur |
bin, that no special attention or denial |
IL necessary except in eases where il |
misht he read by some one not familiar
with the facts, and thus, by giving the |
reader only a distorted view Oi the mat |
ter, prejudice his otherwise fair mind
against Sheriff purbin.
Therefore, alter looking over the facts
aud placing credit where credit is due,
the cr,slit undenhbly belongs 20 MIR.
nurhin, as ID was he who drst conceived
the plan that vas 80 successfully aud
pFOhtahly carried out, The county cOuit
also shoWel It's wisdom la taking up
with The new idea, and giving sheriff
nurhin rs entire aud hearty support la
the matter. Mr.. Malors ala the work.
- the WodhuFu papcr, Ia lts effort 10
accnydit to s0meonc else Nhat rightiully
belongs 10 sheriff narbln, meets the
iato oi al things that are "built upon
the sands" IL falls 10 the ground.
Truth Is like iamlets ghos.--you can't
keep it down.
We can hut come 20 this conclusion,
that Mr narbln Is not sailing into Of.
hce undoF lalse colors, F" nor does he de-
siro 10 DO ~,
let us therefore place the credit and
truth where Il hel0ngs-io Mr.. DuFoin
and the county cleTk.-Vsritas. Ia RAs
legn independent.