The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-01-19


THE fact that Attorney w. r.
~ Garrett appeared before the
retiring board of county commission
ers just before the commencement of
his term as prosecuting attorney to
ASK that the classification of the coun-
ty be raised from the 25th to 23rd
class has naturally occasioned some
comment. Had such action been
taken his own salary would have been
increased 5000 per year and that of
several of the other county officers
500 a year. The attorneys salary
especially, under the present classifi-
cation, is ridiculously low and offers
scant inducement for a good attorney
to take the Office The man who does
take it at $4OO year does not, from
a strictly financial point Of view, owe
an everlasting debt of gratitude to the
people who elect him.
No evidence having been submitted,
however, tending to show that the
populatian of the county is now 1000
or more, the commissioners could not
consistently do otherwise than deny
the application for an increase of two
classes, although they might, with
some reason, have raised the county
one class, which would not have bene-
fted the officials as it would not have
changed their salaries.
The federal census for 1900 gave
the county population of 1928. The
school census of the same year was
taken during the same month and the
ratio of the latter to the former was
trife less thar 81, which ratio was
used by the commissioners when the
classification of the county was raised
from the the 9th to the 25th class.
There is no reason to assume that
there has been any material change
in the ratio since then. According
to the assessors census, taken during
the spring of 1904, the population OF
the county then was 3,5O5, showing
an increase in four years of . trife
less than twenty per cent, and his
figures are believed to be a little in
excess of the actual resident popula-
ton, by reason Of the enumeration OF
many of the fish trap employees, who
we're not bona fide residents. The
state bureau statistics in its re.
Gently published estimate of the pop
ulation of the state credited this
county with an increase of only seven
teen per cent since 1900, the school
census ratio of / to 81 evidently being
considered approximately correct.
The present cold snap, while not
the severest in point of low temper
ature throughout the Sound country,
has been the longest 'snap" OF the
kind for fourteen years. The mer-
curry at that time went to ten Or
eleven below zero and there was quite
heavy snowfall. Several inches OF
snow have fallen this month at main
land points along the Sound, enough
for sleighing at Seattle and Beiling-
ham, Mt. Constitution has had .
white mantle and there was light
furry here Thursday.
The revival meetings will continue
over Sunday Jan. 20. DR.. James
Thomson, of Bellingham, will preach
Sunday morning in the Methodist
church and in the evening in
the Presbyterian church. These are
union meetings and there win be no
service in the NJ. E. church at night.
In the afternoon DR.. Thomson wiil
nreach at the Valley Presbyterian
church and reopen the Sunday school.
The revenue launch Guard, which
had been tied up here for number
Of weeks on account of lack Of coal,
has been taken to Seattle for repairs
to her machinery. She left here
Wednesday afternoon in tow Of the
Arcata and is not likely to return
until it is possible to get . cosl sup
ply here