The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1908-07-02
County Financial Condition

va ''lC"CHS t'uhty iiaNt 'NC'' t'''" ~
County Treasurer Adams so far this
year. This record beats that OF last
wear. OF the amount delinquent about
$4,000 is represented bv amount due
from railroads. This tax is tied up and
cannot be accepted by the treasurer
until the supreme court has rendered
decision regarding the case. This wnuld
leav" only about $4,000 yet 10 be col
lected. OF this $25 900 represents the
amount upon which the first half was
paid prior to June /, and which will not
become delinquent until Nov. 30.
The collections this year were III eA-
cess OF last those OF last year, even if the
money market is much tighter than
usual, and speaks volumes for the pros
perry of Stevens county ranchers and
property owners During February Of
this year. the month on which the taxes
on the current roll falls due, the receipts
were nearly 100 per cent in excess OF the
the same month in 1907. March and
April about held their own with the
previous year. while during May there
was gain OF 70 per cent. During the
month Of June Just closed the receipts
for taxes will exceed by $50 per cent
those OF last June This is certainly a
remarkable record. and one which it ts
believed cannot be equalled by any
other county in the state.
The total amount OF taxes extended
for the year 1907, and which became
due on Feb ), 1908, was 1898 ,94l go, Of
this amount there has been collected up
to date approximately $l4l 900. OF the
remaining S9S, 600 about 10000 is
due from the railroads and will be col
lected later.
Last year fully 90 per cent of the per-
sonal taxes were collected AS this
class 1T property can easily be removed
from the state or disposed OF in some
other manner, 50 that the officials can
moi ltvySn the same, it will be seen
that the residents Of Stevens county are
amongst the most honest existing any
where Mr.. Adams says that in many
instances parties who had removed to
other states paid their personal taxes,
although the county officials could not
have compelled them So to do.
Mr.. Adams believes that the question
OF bonding the county to take care Of
the rXistin. Indebtedness will be- sub
mlttrd to the voters this fall. He also
thinks the matter should be discussed
by the newspapers in 4 non partisan
manner, and thus placed before the
people in an intelligent manner, so that
they will fully understand il prior TO
election
Personally he believes that the county
would ,lo well IL issue bonds to take up
the present bonded debt of 500 600, as
well ae retire the outstanding warrants,
which. together with the interest, will
probably aggregate considerably over
$25O,OOO. These bonds can be hoated
after the first OF the year al about + per
cent interest. This plan would result
in cutting the interest charges in two,
as well as placing the county on a much
sounder financial basis.
The Romance OF Buried Pictures.
A romantic story Of Il picture pur-
chased at London auction which on
expert examination proved to be paint
ed over a Rembrandt worth $4,000 is
curiously reminiscent of the discovery
Of 4 COrreggiO under similar circum-
stances. A good many years ago two
picture restorers, Lovera and Hunter
spergh, bought at an art sale in Rome
a number Of old pictures in order to
provide themselves with canvases for
repainting In the division of the
spoils Hunterspergh received an indif-
ferent picture of flowers. on which he
painted q study of head. This pic
ture he offered to I4overa, who on close
examination found that the new
ground scaled off and that underneath
were traces of 4 figure painted in q
style that denoted the hand of a mas
ter Replacing the scales and conceal
ing his discovery, he purchased the
picture for little more than the value
Of the canvas. Removing the two
grounds, he disclosed an exceedingly
clever painting by Correggio, which he
Cn16 to tho Earl of RriSf01 for 81 k00