The Ordway new era., 1909-01-15
COUNTY DIVISION
Proposition to Divide Otero
County is the Chief Topic
of Our People in All
Parts of the County

osition to divide this county Is almost
unanimous on the north side, and ex-
cept for the few there is no serious
objections cmanating from the south
side Of the county. That there are
many good reasons for the division,
those who have given the matter care
ful consideration and divested them
selves OF their selfish ambitions and
purposes, frankly admit. Some men
can see no good reason for IL, and In
sist that the county remain as IL Is.
Some who look at IL in this light are
so blinded by unreason that they will
not see, do not want to see. But the
progressive citizen. whether he lives
on the north or south side OF the river,
favors 1t. IL is proposed to take of
about 500 square miles from the north
end OF the county of Otero and form a
new county. The people living In the
north side territory reason that they
are too far from the county seat: that
IL is inconvenient and expensive to go
To the county capital to transact
county business, and as there Is no
direct railway connection, that IL
works great hardship on our citizens,
some OF whom live, measuring on a
tangent, about fifty miles from La
Junta, requiring two days to make the
trip. and a long and hard one at
that. Again, they say that the river
makes a natural division OF the terri
tory, separate and distinct from that
OF the south side. We have our own
line OF railway, irrigating canals,
towns, school districts, and all OF
these being remote from the seat OF
the county government, are more or
less neglected, and with county on
this side they will be brought up to a
higher standard, and our people will
reap greater benefits from all these
than to leave the county as it now is.
Since the days OF the revolution
there has never been an attempt to
establish local self government which
has not met with violent opposition
by the minority. King George resist
ed by force. Old Bent county in 1888
when the progressive people began
the agitation OF subdivision objected,
"croake d." threatened and bulldozed.
But the legislature took up the pro-
gressive line OF the argument and
created out OF that parent county the
new counties OF Prowers, Otero and
Kiowa. leaving good sized territory
for old Bent. What have these new
counties accomplished? Wonders
Otero county has today a greater
population than Bent, Prowers, Kiowa
and Kit Carson counties combined.
She cast a larger vote at the late
November election than Archuleta,
Custer, Baca, Grand, Kiowa, Mineral,
Philips. Sedgwick counties combined.
Prowers has made rapid strides and is
a splendid example Of what deter
mined and progressive people can do.
Kiowa county is out OF debt and has
$50, 900 to 100000 in bank, with the
lowest rate o. taxation In the State.
Otern has an assessed valuation Of
$s, SOC, 600 on 40 per cent basis; an
actual valuation OF $2l $50, 900. The
territory included in the proposed
new county has an assessed valuation
on a like basis, Of $l,5OO, 900, or an
actual valuation Of %, 100000. (These
figures are correct and we invite
the mathematical prodigy from the
south side to verify them.) For coun-
ty purposes, with the levy for 1909 at
le mills, we would derive S24, 900 taxes
for the new county. This is ample to
run the county. 1t is more than
sufficient to defray all expenses. The
county OF Otero as she now stands
with a 16 mill levy will collect for
1909 sl38,OOO. Give us the new county
and deduct s24, 600 and Otero will still
have $4,000 to pay her current ex-
penses. Don't talk about the new
county not being able to live. We are
enterprlsing. We have the soil; we
have the capacity; we have the same
kind of conditions that Otero had
when In her swaddling clothes to
make US as great in proportion as
Otero has grown TO be.
We say give us our share Of this
territory, and with our push, good
soIl, progrcssive'splrIt. we will show
the world valley that will blossom
like the rose.
PERRY BHHYMER, Pres.