Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-02-19
STRONG PLEA
ARTES|A COUNTY
Editor Newkirk Be-
fore House Com
mittee
FACTS AND FIGURES CITED
For Consideration of Legisla-
tors---Can Do No Harm
--Will Do Much Good.

kOI S---SdH DO NO IldIH
--Will Do Much Good.
TO him who is Interested in the fu-
ture Of the great Southwest and par
ticularly of New Mexico, tie question
Of county division. the location Of
county seats and county changes gen.
orally, are being watched closely. All
these are but a sign of the progress
of the present day and the working
out of future development and growth
The wonderful progress Of the Pecos
Valley which has far outstripped all
other portions IN New Mexico per
haps, in the way it has filled up with
settlers and in the manner in which
its lands have been brought to the
highest possible state Of productive
value, causes the bill for the creation
of Artesia County, to be watched with
an eagle eye by the general public.
The arguments Of d. H. Newklrk,
editor of the Petos Valley News and a
resident of Artesia. before the Com.
mittee on County and County Lines
of the House this morning, since they
bear upon the general status of county
creation are Of particular inte est.
Mr.. Newkirk spoke as follows:
Creation Of Artesia County Will I'm.
pose No Hardships Upon chaves
and Eddy.
THE creation Of Artesia County
will absolutely not impose a single
nor work a single wrong
upon either Eddy or Chaves County
We're the first words this man ut
tered. Why" he asked, and an.
swered his own question as follows:
Because at the time the country
which it is now proposed to embody in
Artesa County, was but desert
waste, the balance of Chayes and
Eddy Counties we've forging right
ahead without the least aid from the
Artesia County section Roswell in
Chaves County and Carlsbad in Eddy
County were both thriving cities.
Neither of these two places contrib
nted one cent towards the develop
nent or upbuilding of the district to
be known as Artesia County. Despite
this fact, the people in the Artesia
district uncomplainingly bore their
pro rata share of the taxation despite
the fact that they never realized one
iota of benefit in material way,
IF ! thought for a minute that it
was i'll will or malice that prompted
Dur people to ask for county division
would not favor it. On the contrary,
exactly the opposite feeling exists.
can think of no better simile than
the youth who has just entered man.
hoods estate. He leaves the home of
childhood-not hating his parents, but
asking for their blessing and good
wishes He has tried his wings and
he knows that he is able and willing
to shift for himself He has out.
grown the home of younger days and
1t is his duty to step to the fore and
lake up his share Of the White Mans
Burden
That is exactly the condition of
hose desiring Artesa County.
We say to the Thirty-seventh AS >
sembly: Gentlemen, we want to
start in business for ourselves. We
are young, strong and able to bear
'ur share of the burden, but we want
% be our own guiding star,
IF the old counties had one sem
1lance of generosity, they would
gladly assume all obligations of which
hey alone have received the benefit
md would join us in our petition to
he Legislature Then, like the aged
parents, they would bid us Godspeed
n our enterprise.
Il am informed that the people of
carlsbad say we are not capable of
existence, regardless of
he cold fact that Carlsbad is sixteen
ears old; has received the benefit of
very single dollar paid ont of the
ounty treasury and the assessed val
ation of that precinct decreased
learly $4,000 during the year 1905
lone, while that of the Artesia pre-
inct has increased 100000 in the
anne period.
i do not mean to reflect on the as.
essor. He is a Carlsbad man and it is
ut fair to suppose ne remembered
lis home precinct and acts accord
ngly
Carlsbad is a beautiful city. well
improved with miles of cement walks
nd containing number of beautiful
esldences occupied by men of wealth
county affairs were economicarv
nd carefully administered, the rev
nue. derived from Artesia district
'ould never be missed Our peonle
oined heartily with the Carlsbad peo,
ie In securing the Avalon dam pro.
sct which has cost the government
10000 and We feel that our work on
MS project alone should inspire at
EAST a little generosity.
The Effect Of County Division on
Roswell,
Roswell has been aptly termed
[he Queen of the Pecos Valley"
She has built UP blocks upon blocks
I substantial business houses, public
uildings, residences and other struc.
Tres She has hpen hnnorad nv th