Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-10-04
some MORE REASONS
why COUNTY SEAT SHOULD Be
LOCATED ON HARBOR.
A Vast Majority OF Public Business
Originates on GrayS HarbOr, and
the People in This End of the
County Pay Most of the Taxes, the
Majority of Litigation Also.

The Montesano Vidette took new
tack last week on the subject of the re.
moval OF the county seat, and cries that
in prosperous times people are prone to
rush into extravaganza, and intmates
that the building of new court house
would result in greatly increased taxa
ton.
AS is found in all argument for the re-
tention of the county seat at Montesano,
this argument will not bear investiga.
ton. AS shown in previous article by
this paper, the county must expend large
sums in the repair and enlargement of
the present court house if ii is used dur
ing the next four years, and an examina-
tion of the tax rolls will show that the
heaviest taxpayers reside on Grays Har-
Dor, who can be relied upon to check any
attempt at greater expenditure for a
new building than will be justified.
At no period in its history has CT ehalis
county been in as good position to build
new court house as at present-even if
it was not to receive bonus of $4,000
to aid in its erection. During the past
four years the county has been paying
off its bonded Indebtedness at the rate
OF $4,000 year, and today it is out Of
debt, and has $4,000 in it's treasury. So,
that, with the large increase in assessed
values this year, the county should be in
position to erect a creditable building
and make the smallest tax levy in it's
history.
When the expense entailed upon the
people OF Grays Harbor, by reason Of the
present location is considered, the cost
OF the bulding-with free site and
$4,000 bonus, sinks into insignifcance.
glance over the county records reveals
the fact that four-ffths OF the public
business originates west of Montesano.
For instance, during the past year 517
law suits were filed in the superior court,
800 OF which were by persons residing
west OF Montesano. There were 79S
days attendance by witnesses, OF whom
652 were from west Of Montesano. The
real estate transfers from April /, 1906,
to October /, 1906, consisted of 767 in
struments, 1872 of which were from
Montesano and points east, and SIS from
west OF the county seat. This shows rs
per cent. OF this class OF business from
this END OF the county, and the 575 in
struments represented as considerations
$5O3,4O as against $l46,77O OF the 1872
from the east end.
There are absolutely no good reasons
to be advanced against the removal to a
point that will effect large saving to
the county, as a whole. as we'll as to
those doing more than Is per cent. of the
business at the court house. Although
some advocates OF its retention seek to
give the impression that the removal is
one of spectators, the slightest investi-
CATION of conditions on Grays Harbor
will dissipate all such talk. Never were
two rival towns more united upon any
point than is Aberdeen and Hoquiam on
this subject. No real estate or other
spectators could ever have brought
about such unanimity of feeling; moth.
ing would have caused it but the fact
that the loss OF time, expense and annoy
ance Of transacting business at the coun
ty seat experienced by all could possibly
have produced this feeling.