The Dickinson press., 1904-11-05
BILLINGS coUAIYs BONDING PROPOSITION.

BILLINGS COUNn'S BONDING PROPOSITION.
Billings county is prosperous, but in
short time her voters will be given an
opportunity to place her in the column
under the heading bankrupt" or tokeep
her out. Read her history and reflect.
She was organized in 1886 with. 81
voters, and a total population of about
I65; in the next sixteen years, bringing
US up to 1902, when she had grown until
she had 100 voters, an increase Of 70 vot.
ers in l6 years, making total of 100 vot.
ers in the county at present. Our poll
tax book, however, shows almost 900
taxpayers and the records show a bond
ed Indebtedness of $4,000, and our out
standing warrants amount to about S1o,-
900, while the surplus in. the treasurv-is
almost equal to the salaries now due.
But some wise men of the Rip Van
Winkle type, who have been sleeping
for the last twenty years, have suddenly
awakened 10 the fact that we have
million dollars assessable property. and
Immediately set,their brains to work to
devise means to spend our income, and
it seems strange to us that these same
wise men overlooked the fact that we
did not have single bridge in the coun-
ty, that there never has been even a
culvert put in by the county, that not
withstanding the fact; that there are
miles of practically impassable roads in
the county, we cannot boast of one single
road supervisor and there is no record of
single penny ever having been spent
on roads; they also overlooked the fact
that conditions are rapidly changing and
the class of people that are now settling
Billings county have a right as voters
and taxpayers to demand these things
and will sooner or later do so, as good
roads are not only benefit but are ab-
solute necessities to the farmers.
But they did, for reasons too obvious
to mention, discover that our court
house and other county buildings were
inadequate, although they had answered
the purpose for more than twenty years.
And why? Find out before you cast
your ballot.
And now they are asking you to give
them permission to bond this county, or
in other words, to run you in debt tor
Sis 5,ooo-What for? To build a court
house at the county seat. And they will
tell you this is not much money, when
you consider that we or you are worth
100000. But watt add $4,000 to the
s23 5000 we already owe and your result
will be $4,000; then add to this the
$1,000 they are asking for wolf bounty
fund and you have total Indebtedness
of $4,000. 1t is getting bigger, isn't it?
And all drawing interest.
But now say the proposition comes and
they 60 ahead and build the court house,
and saw they get it completed for sI5,-
ooo-who is going to furnish it? Not
the county officers! Oh, no, MIR. Tax
payer you are it-yeu made the condi-
tions, you built the court house; now
furnish it. All right, we will put low es-
innate on the cost of furnishing and say
it takes $1,000. This added to $4,000
makes our total Indebtedness $4,000 or
per. cent of the total value of our assess.
able property. Now then, just to show
you the dangerous ground upon which
you are treading, we suppose that when
we have reached this stage and gone
$50, 900 in debt we suddenly be confront
ed by another epidemic of scabbies
among our cattle, or should be called
upon to conduct term of district court
such as Stark county is now wrestling
with. Where would we be? Allow me
to suggest that we would be inthe same
condition that Williams county, this
state, is in today. Only few years ago
Williams county was in as good condi-
ton financially as we are now. but some
of her enterprising ~ citizens came to
the conclusion that they needed court
house and they started off exactly as
you are ask, to do, and went from bad to
worse until today the total value OF all
the real and personal property in the
county is not equal to her bonded in
debtedness. Do you want this condition
to prevail here? Do you want to spend
all you have and all you can borrow for
luxury (court house) and 60 without
the necessities bridges and roads?) Do
YOU want to make the taxes of Billings
county so burdensome that all or most of
your heavy taxpayers must go out OF
business? Do you want to destroy the
proud reputation Of the county in which
you live and make it the laughing stock
and the butt Of ugly jokes for the bal
ance of the state? If SO vote to issue
bonds and send her downward on her
course to financial ruin. But if you want
the county to 60 on and live as you live,
doing without luxuries she cannot afford,
and spending her money for the
necessities of life, standing upon a
solid foundation, reaching out and add.
ing to her Improvements as she becomes
able, keeping her rate of taxation down
sufficient to encourage business industry
and thrift, furnishing suitable and suffi-
cient roads and bridges to accommodate
the public that is making her, maintain
| ing and bearing we'll her reputation as a
financially solid, industrious and pro.
gressive county, then we ask you to be
warned lin time andmake your mark
against this policy of recklessness and
extravaganza, against personal agrand.
izement and greed. Be influenced by
none, but stand on your rights as citi.
zen and taxpayer and mark your ballot
thus:
Against the Issue of Bonds X"
A Citizen and Taxpayer.