Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-01-17
ARTES|A COUNTY IS
BACKEDBYSTRONG
supp 0RTERS
ENTHUSIASTIC ADVOCATE
IN EDITOR GAYLE TALBOT
Proposed County viii Be
Amply Self Sustaining From
Start Without Embarrassing
Either County.

The people OF Artesia county anC
the great artesian belt surrounding il
in the Pecos valley believe they are en-
titled to govern themselves. They
should no longer be required to con-
tribute heavily to the support of Eddy
county and Chaves county under a
high tax rate. without deriving any
Of the benefits of such support. They
know that they have the taxable prop
erty to support a new county from the
very beginning, and this without seri-
ously embarrassing the finances of the
Two counties from which Artesia
county is to be created
This. briefly, is the case of the pro-
posed new county of Artesia, which
The legislature is to be asked to create,
as stated to the Morning journal by
GAYLE Talbot. of Artesia. who was in
Albuquerque Wednesday, as the guest
OF Cashier j. b. Herndon. of the State
National bank. MI. Talbot was the
founder Of the Artesia Advocate, a
weekly newspaper which is still flour
ishing in the Pecos' valley town, al
though Mr.. Talbot has now turned his
attention to farming and the develop
ment OF the Artesian belt Of which his
home town is the center.
Mr.. Talbot has been in santa Fe for
several davs in the interest of Artesia
county. He and several associates
liOJDSt 10 itfIidn III the tdDlldJ lOI
some time following the converting of
the legislature, or until favorable ac-
ton upon the county division plan is
secured.
1t is proposed to create the new
county of Artesla from portions of
Eddy county OF the south and Chaves
county or the north, taking about
tw%enty-four miles off of the north of
Eddy county and some six miles off
the south of Chayes county, the lines
extending from the border on the east
to the Otero county line on the west;
making a county about thirty miles
from north to south and 1873 miles
from east TO west. its lines straight,
with Artesia as the geographical cen
ter of the division, Artesia, of course,
is advanced as the Gun seat. The
county as proposed would include a
considerable portion of the artesian
belt, Of which Artesia is the center, the
Lake Arthur precinct of Chaves
county, and the Dayton. Lakewood and
Hope precincts of Eddy county.
Opposition of Old Counties.
Two years ago the people of the
Artesia district went before the legis-
lature with g request for the creation
of the new county as proposed.
These influences still exist. In
Chaves county certain politicians are
understood to be lined up solidly
the division. and the same on
dition Is said to be true in Eddy
the opposition coming from
politicians and oficeholders in Ros-
Wen and Carlsbad. This opposition is
by a considerable portion of
the business element of the two towns.
upon the ground that the new county
would cut off a considerable portion OF
the taxable property of each county.
The further objection is made by the
nnnnGitinn that tho nrprnnfaYc .of tho |
new county are politicians and real
estate boomers who are aiming solely
At selfish ends.
Strong Arguments for Artesia.
These objections are met by the adj
VOcates of the new county in a very
convincing manner Mr. Talbot is one
Of the most ardent of these advocates.
He backs his claims for the new
with facts and figures which
are convincing,
1T is being said that. we are after
his new county in the interest of poll
.icians and rea! estate sharks" said
Talbot Yesterday. Il wan to say
right now that there is not a single
nan in the lines of the proposed new
'ounty who expects to derive any per-
'onal benefit from its creation. above
what Is gained by his neighbor.
There is not a politician connected
With the movement, nor is Il a scheme :
# real estate sharks. 1t is simply a
lemand from the people of the pro-
josed county that they be allowed to :
Govern themselves; knowing that they {
the ability and the wealth to do
that they be given an opportunity 1
o cut down an eXOrbitant tax rate; ]
they be not required to contribute
Xtravagant sums to the salaries Of
ounty officials such as are now be-
ng paid In Eddy county and of which
he ArfnGfa. 1fafpfpf f.ax ~. o. than 1 II
0 Der cent.
Our tax rate in Eddy county at
eSent is about Sc on the hundred and
ar property is returned at a higher
rate than that of any other
ounty I'm the territory. Under the new ;
ounty, and we can prove this by Of y
cial records and figures, our tax p
ate, for an entirely self-supporting )
ounty would not exceed S1.25 per $
undred for county purposes. In spite h
the high rates we pay at present We U
lnnOt secure the construction Of r
in our part of the county.
eople in the southwestern part Of il
ddy county have to travel far into v
to trade. while others have to f.
AXE the long journey to Roswell. c;
we are in a position to demon- tc
rate clearly our ability to start the fe
wv county upon an absolutely self Al
lpporting basis and at the same time u
leaNe n old n an ample as
valuation. The assessed valua- ~
IN of Eddy county for 1906 is So ST
The assessed valuation of n,
.ose precincts of Eddy county which (.
Is proposed to Incorporate into Ar 20
county. is SS35.372. This would ~
in Eddy county an assessed val -
no of $1.319.232. NJ
The assessed valuation of Chaves y,
unity for 1906 IS S3.25S.265. The =,
sessed valuation of those precincts OF "
laVes county which il is proposed to -
corporate in Artesia county. is S254,- s
., leaving Chaves county an assessed s
luation of SO. 0O3. 952. Iai
The assessed valuation of the new
unity would thus he from the start IN
-E59, 695. Upon that valuation the XXI
county would he entirely ha
sustaining. A tax of 81 Der 500 M
Sl.239.6S5 would be Si2,396.S5 per
mum. which is nearly $4,000 a year n
ere than would be necessary to pay
T expenses of the new county. We
now paying SAFE per s100 in Eddy De
unity OF which Sl.40 is for territorial stf
fposes and s2.s2 is Tor county pur- "a,
ses \ county which pays over Ch
a'9OO and under $4,000 to the ter 90
DRY Der year H. a county ciassed "a ~
ISIS ID. Artesia county would pay -
tween SIS. 600 and $50. 900 to the 20
'tltofy and would. therefore. come W
class -. Taking the salaries Of -"
unity Officials as regulated for class
and insulting Interest on D debt
llch the new counfs Woula BE- re- m
lfed ~ assume. and our COUNT eN- On