Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-10-07
PRESENT OWNER BOOKS.

PRESENT OWNER BOOKS.
Some Interesting Facts Concerning thef
Inception, Cost of Making and Keep
ing Them Up, and Naom They Serve.
At its last session the county
court issued the following order
at appearing 10 the court thai
the Present Ownership Book, in
the county recorders Office is In
bad condition, through lack oi
room for continuances, ETC., that
the laws provide that a map
showing the owners of lands on
March Ist of each year shall be
furnished the county assessor;
that the expense Of keeping UP
said books and map from month
to month and providing the plats
for the assessor on March 1st, is
a double expense, it is the opin-
ion of the court that the keeping
up of said books and plats from
month to month should be dis
continued, and it is so ordered. "
While this matter was under
consideration Recorder Vincent
was called before the court to
give his opinion as to the neces-
sity of keeping up the present
owner books from month to
month as a matter of convenience
to the public. Mr.. Vincent
stated that the books and maps
were being continually studied
and inspected by farmers and the
public generally and he consider
ed the books and map of great
benefit and convenience. The
court held, however, that the
books and maps should be kept
only for the use of the assessor,
and that by having them brought
up once year a great saving to
the county could be effected
thereby.
In connection with this matter
an investigation of the records O
the court, showing how and
when the present method e1
keeping up the present ownel
books, was instituted, is of inter
est.
The records of December 9th,
1893, contain the following en-
try:
In the matter of extending the presen
owner books from June list, 1899, Il
Dec. 3Ist, 1898:
This matter came on for bearing o.
THE BID OF V. E. WATERS to exten.
said present owner book in accordance
with the following specifications, viz
''Tl at the present owner book be ex
tended from June Ist, 1890, to Dec
31st, 1898, showing the present owner o
each piece or parcel of land lying ant
being situated in the present county @
Benton, State of Oregon, as shown b.
the records in the Office of the county re
corder of said county and state.
"That the arrangement and claseifica
ton of said lands in said present owne
book shaif-sbe the same -as~heretofor
made. That there shall also be made al
index of the present owners of said land
arranged in alphabetical order.
THAT after said present owner boo
shall have been completed up to SAT-
Dec 3lst, 1se3,, it shall be KEPT AND CON
TINUED to July Ist, 1894, and that SAT-
work of continuing said present owne
book, to said Dec. 3Ist, 1898, shall b.
completed on or before March 1st, 1894
s'That if said work shall be done in I
workmanlike manner and in accordanc
with above specifications that said count.
of Benton, by its proper officers, shal
accept same and issue its warrants in tn
sum of $500 to be paid as follows: Or
the completion of said present owne
book to Dec. 3Ist, 1898, the sum Of $3.50
and for the CONTINUING of said work t
said July 1st, 1894, the sum of $50, to b
paid when said work shall be completed.
1t is ordered by the court that the con
tract for extending said present owfle
book be awarded to said V. E
Walters, in accordance with above speci
fications.
The records show that MI
Waters, judge of the presen
court, was allowed $3.50, Marcl
7, 1894, and $50, July S, 1894
for "present owner book"
It would appear from thes
records, that the present count,
Judge took the initiative, whel
recorder, in establishing tn
practice Of keeping up the pres
ent owner book, which the cou,
has just decided is unnecessary
that the charge he made fe
bringing the books up from Jun
1st, 1890, to December 81, 1se
j lowering a period of two an
one-half years-was $3.50, or SIC
a year, a SUM in excess of th
charge made by the present n
cordsr and which the court says
unnecessary expense for thl
work. For keeping up the pres