Bisbee daily review., 1909-08-18
RAISE IN RATE FIRST IN l
 YEARS

Supervisor John J. Bowen returned to Bisbee yesterday morning feeling highly pleased with the result of the meeting of the Board of Supervisors where he had been supported in his contention that bond issue would be inadvisabie and unnecessary for the purpose of erecting buildings on the new county poor farm near Doug las. The Democratic member had won on his contention and the attack made upon him recently in Douglas in .an article published in the Daily Dis patch of that city and which he ans wered in an interview with the Re- view, discredited.
 1 When Mir. Bowen met Supervisor . Jacob Shearer, he says, that but a few minutes conversation was neces- sary to convince that Republican mem ! Der of the board that it would be the i poorest of policies to issue bonds i when the county had just achieved a ! long attempted effort to clear itself of indebtedness. This smashed the Republican slate. completely spoiled l their plan of action and from then on there was nothing to do but to follow the wiser course as pointed out by 1. the Democratic member This was !, done by raising the rate for the gen eral fund seven cents and effectually ended all controversy
 | While pleased at having prevented ] the county from incurring a new bonded indebtedness Mir. Bowen. wher seen by Review reporter yesterday could not but compare the results achieved by the Democrats in sever years with the present Republican ad ministration. | Democrats Reduce Rate.
 Seven years before the Republican!
 gained control of the board said MT
 Bowen, the tax rate was s4.30 ant for seven years thereafter the Demo
 cratic party had continuous control o ithe county government.
 Each year there came reduction fl
 the tax rate. Each year an effort wa made to reduce the bonded indebted ness and each year showed success along both of those lines. Lower an lower became the tax rate each yea and each year also the bonded indeb edness was reduced by Democrati economies.
 Last year the tax rate had been rs duccd to g, a reduction in seven year
 of more than half or s2.30. and i that time the debt had been wipe out and Cochise county was free (
 bonded debt. Then the Republican were given power and see the resu | l of their control for less than a year
 Supervisor Bowen continued an
 said: The tax rate fo- the comin year Is $2.30, a raise Of 30 cents an this is the first time il seven year that the county tax rate has been raj ed. In addition to this some of tn
 Republican members would, had the
 been able. have undone the good wor of debt reduction by passing s30.00
 bond issue for county buildings c
 the poor farm. This is avoided by a
 increase of the rate of the gener;
 fund of ' cents, but without this fl
 crease the county rate for the yea is increased 23 cents''
 Supervisor Bowen stated that th
 slight increase in the general fun
 rate would not be sufficient to met the full cost of the new poor farl
 buildings in the first year, and that
 was not intended that it should bt
 that the cost would readily be met
 two years He reiterated that the pr posed bond issue would have been III
 necessary and that the method whic was employed. when Mir. Shearer cam
 over to his side was the economic;
 and sensible one to employ.