Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-05-20

The outrageous plan of the county commissioners
to expen quarter of million dollars in the building
of two court houses for Chehas county is meeting
with unexpected difficulties. TO begin with, the
funds not in the treasury and an attempt to ap-
prOpriae such large sum would sufficiently justify
appeal to the courts that would delay operations
for possibly year or more.
But the most serious obstacle lies in the impend-
ing special session of the legislature, and the action
of the commissioners last Monday in dcfering action
the plans indicates that they aware of it. There
is absolutely question, that in the present temper
of the county this matter, petitions could be
secured from ninetenths of the voters in the Grays
Harbor region for county division 1t is equally plain
that law can be enacted at that session that would
avoid the flaws found by the supreme court the
former occasion. TO this fear is credited the failure
of the commissioners to act on the plans.
There is no general desire for division down this
way but big majority of the voters and taxpayers
will take the step before they will stand this costly
disregard of their wishes by men who are supposed
to represent them that has been framed up by ma
jority of the board. The impression prevails among
the knowing in this neck of the woods that the
absurd scheme originated in the Wcyerhcalser Tim
ber Company for the very purpose of defeating any
attempt to divide the county, safe in the belief that
under present conditions they defeat any at
tempt to equitable estimate of their i'm
mense timber holdings for taxation purposes, and it
would now be somewhat strange if their scheme should
prove the very means of forcing the measure they
planned to defeat.
Believers in this theory argue that the Timber
Company-regardng the matter in a strictly business
lght-las far succeeded in controlling the board
of county commissioners to their exceeding great pro-
fit; that their holdings would largely be in Grays Har
Dor county, which county would be dominated by the
cities of Aberdeen and HOquiam whose property hold
taxed at good sized valuation and who
would insist upon the timber bearing it's just proper
ton of the cost of government.
The Herald has interviewed number of repre-
otiv itiznuS on hiS and fam t1nm
unanimous in favor of division should the commission
crs persist in defying the will of those who elected
them and pay their saares-oifical only. They
not at all anxious for division, but reasoned that if
they must divide in order to square deal they
had better do it A movement is foot to call
a meeting of the citizens Of Grays HarbOr at
to discuss the situation and decide what is best
to do under the circumstances
The opportunity afforded by the special session of
the legislature cannot be ignored and it is safe to say
that within ten days petitions will be circulated ask
ing for division. There will be mistake this time
of delaying the petitions until after the division law
is passed, but they will be placed in circulation at
oncc and the iron struck While ii is hot. Many who
really dislike the idea of division favor getting every
thing in readiness, even to securing the required
Der votes in the legislature to enact the bill, and
then put it up to the commissioners and Timber Com
pany, to call the court house deal off until after the
elections next year.
Others, recalling the rank deal of 1906, contend
that it is impossible to secure fair election long
as the appointing of the election boards rests in those
who are opposed to the best interests of GrayS arbOr
and that the best plan is to take advantage of the
expected deverance offered by the special session and
cut loose and make effort to elect county commits
sones who will be guided by the interests and wishes
of their constituents That concerted action will be
taken by the mass meeting of no uncertain sort is
assured.
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