The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-05-31
LAKE ANSWERS
THE DEMOCRATS

pears letter purIoIting to have been
written by f.. A. Seufert, chairman
Of the Democratic county committee.
In this letter Mr.. Seufert makes some
political statements accusing the pre-.
sent Republican county officials OF
wasting the county money and hints
very broadly at graft. The statements
are SO exaggerated and perverted that
| deem it but fair to the officers &C.
cused to correct some Of these false and
misleading assertions, especially since
some of the Republican officers are
candidates for reelection, and except
for this fact the letter referred to
would never have been printed.
Mr.. Seufert says County Clerk Boil
ton uses from S25 to 1856 in postage
stamps per month. The facts are Mr..
Bolton has used tincC Lio i. infancy
in office the last 2 years AN average
Of Sl5. % per month for postage
stamps. This amount includes all the
stamps used in the county clerk r
Office and all the stamps rsed official
ly by Circuit Judge W. l.. Bradshaw
and myself. MIR. Bolton has vouchers
on file for every cent spent tor stamps
and incidentals.
In answer to the assertion that
"Judge Lakes first act in Office was
to increase tie salary Of all help"
will say that the deputy sheriff, h. G.
Haight, never has received as much
salary at any time as was paid former
deputy sheriff. under Democratic gd-
minIbtratiUns. In the clerks office 1t
cost exactly the same the first year
when was county judge, for help that
had been pad for each Of the -four PIE
vious years under Judge Blakeley.
The last year 1t has est $40 per month
more.
During the last two years the, re-
ceipts in the clerks Office exceed by
81, ll5 So the receipts of the two pre-
Vious years, showing great increase
of work. Ibis increased work brought
the county 81, 2,ll5.56 and cost the
county only $l20 to perform it. Thus
leaving the county 81, 995. So to the
good in that matter. When the coun-
Cy gets 81, lis. So for work done in the
clerk office and it costs but Sl20 to
do it it Is certainly making "a very
good profit.
AS to paying the county treas urer
bond. County treasurers have hereto
fore always given bonds signed by |
by taxpayers of the county. The his.
tory of bonds of that kind in this state
shows that when liability arises these
bonds fought and frequently defeated |
on account of the personal standing of
che bondsmen and their influence in |
The county. In lthe cases of surety
bonds there is no escape for the sure
Iy company in case liability arises.
therefore, for the protection Of the
county, the court required Mr.. Don
nell to give large bond signed by a
surety company. This cost S75. AS
,he court had required Mr.. Donnell
20 give this bond, it was but fair that
,he court should pay portionkof the
expense and did 30, requiring Mr..
Donnell to pay the other portion
which he wonld not have been COM
Jelled to pay Lad Le given personal
)ond. The extra protection which
he county has received IL worth far
more than 1t has cost.
The sheriif's bond as tax collector
s required by law to be SUI ETY. bond
md to be paid for by the county. No
other official bonds than those men
ioned above we're paid for by the
county.
The assertion that the county court
vas making "Slush fund" " hatever
hat may mean) out of the county
oad fund to assist or defeat some Re-
publican candidates at the late pri-
naries, should be beneath notice but
will say in passing, that the asser,
ion is false In every particular.
Again Mr.. Seufert says, "The pre-
ient tax should be 7 mills aud not II. -"
Every intelligent taxpayer in Wasco
county knows that it., requires nearly
mills to pay the amount of county
school fund alone required by law to
DO raised each year. The atement
hat Sexton received $500 from WHsco
,ounty for mileage, horse hire, etc.,
loes not contain one particle of truth,
is the county has not paid him one
lollar for such work. Everybody
Knows that the county clerk has no.
hing to do with the distribution of
road funds.
= ub bbllubH GOhIb hOts uOL hO LIb HH-
sessing and has no control over the
assessor, only advisory. As to the
assessment, | will say, how
sver, that the present assessor raised
The valuation from 5000 per mile as
assessed by his Democratic predecess
or to $40, 900 per mile.
Extra expenses which have been in
CURED by the county, and which we're
not included in the Democratic admin
Istration are: the Williams and Ries
murder trials, special elections, Lewis
and Clark fair, number Of new
bridges, aud SlS,0 600 of the road tax,
which is now collected In money and
paid back to the several road disu lots,
while form 1rly, it was simply worked
out by the supervisors, and did not go
through the county treasury. These
amount makes IA difference of about
S35, 600.
In conclusion | will say that | am
lot trying to write a political letter,
lor am trying to damage or depre-
,iate any Democratic candidate am
>nly making plain statement of fact
hat are due the Republican oandi.
iates, fully believing that the voters
n WRsco county are we'll qualified to
select for themselves the men they de-
lire to serve them as state and county
A. Il. LAKE,
County Judge.
Berry Crop Short at kcnneWck