The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1905-09-01

Taxpayers win petition to Remove
County Seat to Goldfeld.

Ever since the last session of the
Nevada Legislature closed, during the
deliberations of which a bill proyid-
ing for the removal of the county seat
from Hawthorne to Goldfeld was bur
led in committee, there has been more
or less desultory agitation of the ques-
tion among the residents of this dis
triet- Within the past few days, how
ever, "A concerted movement to that
end has been inaugurated which will
doubtless result in the filing of a pc
tition with the county commissioners
requesting that they call a special
election for that purpose. The move
ment is being generally Endorsed by
the tax payers of this section of Es-
meralda county, and at a session of
the Goldfeld Bar association held on
Wednesday n committee of attorneys
was appointed to look up the legal
status Of the matter. That the com
missioners have the legal right to call
such an election, at the written re-
quest of but a limited number of tax
payers is conceded, but it is optional
with the board whether such petition
shall be granted. Frank Lothrop, the
single member of the board residing
in Goldfeld, is heartily in accord with
the movement, but as the other men,
bers reside in the northern end of
the county the sanction of at least
one of the latter must be had before
3 call for a special election can be
made. 1t is believed, however, that
the necessity of the change will appeal
to these gentlemen and that they will
fall in line without much opposition.
Prior to the isolation of Hawthorne
from the railway, the inconvenience
OF having the county seat so far re-
moved from the more densely popu-
lated sections, while a hamper to the
rapid transaction of business was not
so arduous as it has since become, and
it is thought that the commissioners
will recognize this fact when passing
upon the merits for the reasons for the
proposed change which are to be set
forth in the petition. If the terms of
the document meet with their favora-
| BILE consideration the next move will
be the calling of a special election, at
which time the tax payers of the coun-
lty will either approve or condemn the
change by their ballots.
TAKES THREE-FIFTHS VOTE.
1t will require a three-ffths vote in
favor of the measure to insure it's
adoption, and in order to vote on the
question the voter must be a tax payer,
and one whose name appears on the
assessment rolls of the county at pres
ent being made ont. Quite a per cent
of the realty of this section is being
marked on the rolls "owner unknown
owing to the fact that the assessor s
force has no knowledge of the name
of the holder, and the fact that such
owner may later appear and establish
claim to such property will not give
him the right TO vote on the question
of changing the county seat, as such
owners name will not appear On the
list of the tax payers of the county.
Therefore, in order to vote on the
proposition it is imperative that real
ty owners should see. to it that their
holdings are properly listed and that
their names are on the tax payers
roster. If the measure is not ear
ried, providing an election is called
for that purpose, the movement will
l:tose into what Mr.. Cleveland has
been pleased to term a state of "inoc-
uous desuetude,' until such time as
it may be resurrected during the next
session of the state legislature which
convenes in 1907. The average resi-
dent of the gold metropolis is of the
| opinion that life is too short and de-
lays too dangerous to further postpone
the matter, and for that reason desire
to put the question to the test at once.
Sheriff Bradley and j. s. Myers, the
latter being now engaged in making
out the tax rolls, ire both working in
favor of the movement and their eff
forts are being ably seconded by other
prominent men of the camp. These
gentlemen are sanguine that the SEN
timent of the general public is favora-
BILE to the project, and that if it is
put to a vote it will undoubtedly carry
by a majority larger than three-ifths
of the total vote cast. They antici-
pate that there will be considerable
opposition to overcome in the north