The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-02-02

The Carlsbad Commercial I has
complied a strong argument against
any new county division in the Pecos
Valley at the present time aud par
ticularly the proposed new county
with Artesia as the County seat. This
array of facts and figures, which we
have taken from the New Mexican of
Thursday is well worth republishing.
1t is as follows:
In the Albuquerque Journal of jan
nary 10th appears al interview with
Gayle Talbot of Artesia in support
of a proposition to create a new coun-
ty out of a large portion of Eddy coun-
~ and an insignificant part of Chaves
County with Artesia as the geographi-
cal center and county seat.
AS no reason is advanced for this
particular geographical form of divi-
sion people may co1cede hat 1one
has been found and need not there
fore stop to emphasize the a%bsurdiIy
of proposing to take, according to NJ.
Talbott's own figures. property valued
at $254.3I3 out of a total assessment
of ~S3.OOO.925 in Chaves County and
$S35.372 out of a total assessment of
s2.154,6O4 in Eddy county to form a
new county with Artesia as the geo
graphical center of the division" We
can safely prove Mr.. Talbott's geogra-
ply without committing ourselves TO
his argument. But the economical ar
gument is what we are chiefly inler-
ested in and we propose to show that
this lis faulty from Mr.. Talbott's own
presentation of it.
H says that the demand comes
from the people who wish to govern.
themselves and be not required TO
contribute e-xtravagant sums to the
salaries of county officials such as are
now being paid in Eddy County n
of which the Artesia District pays
more than 40 per cent"
These salaries are liked by law and
We will consider them in detail
shortly.
The assessed valuation of Precinct
Number Six in which Artesia is. 10
Gated is $%39O.O95. The area OF this
precinct is 672 square miles. The as
sessed valuation of the property in
Precinct Number One. where Carts
pad is located is 81. O21.244, and this
in spite of the fact that the irriga-
ton plant at Carlsbad a been WITH
u water for two years. while the
wells at Artesia, as we all know, have
been spouting high to heaven. The
area OF this precinct is 972 square
miles.
The tax rate in each precinct is the
same. being for county purposes s2.s2
The total assessed valuation of Eddy
County is $~2.154.6O4. Carlsbad pre-
ci1ct therefore pays nearly so per
cent of the total tax of the county.
while Artesia precinct pay les than
20 per cent. The area of Artesia's
precinct is SO per cent, nearly seven
tenths that of Carlsbad's precinct, but
the latter pay more Il two ami
a half times as much taxes. Mr.. Tai
bolt could not have referred to Arte-
STA School District for this has an
area of 5O4 square miles and pays O1
an assessment of 1898. $50. while Carls
a District has an area of only 81
square miles. less than one-fftn (1s
per cent? and pays on a valuation of
$436,502 OF 10 per cent more taxes.
But perhaps Mr.. Talbot meant { O say
that the proposed Artesia county paid
40 per cent of the taxes of Eddy coun-
ty? Why did he lot say it? Such a
statement would be, practically cor
rect; put would be a poor argument
before the legislature. For what leg.
islature would vote against the wishes
of the majority of the inhabitants of
a county to deprive them of 40 per
cent of their axable property and
still leave them saddled with their
debts?
For according to Mr.. Talbot the pro
posed new county will assume only
$s.21S of the indebtedness of Eddy
County. though we are unable to IN
derstand where or how ne gets this
figure or why he should be willing TO
give US ven this bagatelIe.
Now the present bonded indebted
ness Of Eddy County is as follows:
lincoln County IndebtednesssI0, 10000
Court House and jail Bonds IA. 900. 90
Bridge Bonds. - 100000
Current Indebtedness, 100000
Funding for Current Indebt
edness.-- : -. -. 23.550.2c
,rotaI ~, "a -