Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-02-15
CREATES NO NEW COUNTY
(Continued from page onel.

on both bills, returned by the commit
tee on counties, and the subsequent nc.
tion of the house by sustaining the mo-
tion to indefinitely. postpone the meas
ures. This, too, after A. NJ. Drake, and
other stauneh supporters of the Des
Chutes county proposition had succeed.
ed in getting their bill out Of the hands
Of its enemies, the Crook, Klamath,
Lake and Malheur delegation, consist.
ing principally and solely of Represent.
ative Merryman, Of Klamath Falls, and
getting IL back into the hands of the
committee on counties and, for a time,
everything looked rosy but the period
of rejoicing was short-lived, and there
by hangs an interesting tale.
When the Des Chutes county PROPOSE
tion was conceived and brought TO a
focus by the introduction Of the bill
under protest and by request" through
the medium of Mr. Merryman, Mr..
Drake and Mr.. Myers, editor and pro.
prietor of the Laidlaw Chronicle, il
looked as though their plans could not
very well 90 astray but they did not
reckon with Circuit Judge II. l.. Ben
son of klamath Falls, and County Judge
Ben of Crook county, who appeared
later upon che scene and scattered their
fondest hopes 10 the four winds. Kla.
math kicked because the Des Chutes in
terests sought to appropriate about 81
100000 OF Klamaths taxable valua-
tions and the headwaters of the Des
Chutes river and Crook county does not
dosire to lose the Des Chutcs irrigation
country because the steadily increasing
valuations of the laud In that district
helps out amazingly in building court
houses, wagon roads, bridges, etc, i'm
that county.
All kinds of compromises were offer.
cd but to no avail and the hopes of all
concerned, except tho victors, went
glimmering. The principal trouble was
between proposed jefferson and Des
Chutes counties and, on account Of the
strong opposition from Klamath, Ino
Des Chutes county supporters agreed
20 cut out their proposed appropriation
or absorption OF Lake aud klamath
territory and, at the suggestion Of the
representatives and defenders of these
latter counties and offered TO combine
with Jefferson and take up the western
half Of Crook, except that portion e
the northwestern part which was claim
cd by proposed Nesmith county in its
makeup, but the bone of contention
that brought about the failure OF this
compromise was the question Of wheth-
or Madras OF Bend should be the coun-
ty seat, and there the matter rested un.
oil both counties were counted down
and out.
But the triple extract Of the whole
thing is the attack OF the supporters Of
the Des Chutes county proposition upon
County Judge Bell, Of Crook, whom
they charge is down here for the sole
purpose OF lobbying against the pro-
posed division at the expense Of .h0
Taxpayers Of that county. Mr.. Drake
says that, two years ago, when the
same proposition was up Judge Bell
came up 90 the capitol and lObbied
against the bill and the county court
$500 10 defray his expense
upon the expedition and he says that
he told Judge Bell upon this occasion
that even il they had 10 resort 90 tae
courts 20 enjoin the county officials Of
Crook from auditing or allowing sueh
another claim, they would see that his
expenses would not be paid, and, in
NhNW VI RAAA' @"''fh'
that Mr.. Belknap of Crook, klamath,
Lake and Grant, has introduced bill
IN the house, which he has, 10 increase
the judges annual salary in order to
make up the amount. Now Mr.. Drake /
and his eO-workers have a knife sharp /
ened especially for the beneht(D 80
this bill.
The only prospective county bills that
are still in existence are those for tho d
creation OF Nesmith, Of which the Was
co county delegation Is quite la favor
because Il would serve 10 shut out the
severatiOn Of the Hood River district
from that county, and the Hood River
bill, which Is a substitute for the Cas-
cade county bill, defeated In the sen
ate. The committee did not report up
on these bills and win probably wait
until an amieable settlement can be ar
ranged or let them die a natural death 1
-.