The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1910-05-09
COUNTYC COIN
IS GIVEN
AWAY
Commissioners Hand Their
Private Little Western
Washington Fair $10,-
600 OF Taxpayers Cash.

Ten thousand dollars Of the tax
payers money has been appro-
priated by the board u county
commissioners as a gift 20 the West
ern Washington Fair association.
The association will hold some sort
Of fair next fall ia Seattle
The commissioners have given
the public 20 understand that tho
county might donate few prizes
for stock fair next fall The rec
ordE Of the board. however. show
that $4,000 ~ the peoples money
IL 10 be given TO the association 10
do with what fl pieases The ASSOC
citation r. a private concern. run for
profit pure and simple. free from
all public control
Trottine Meet.
The only thing that the benefit
Charles u the $4,000 gift Of COM
missioner Carrigan and his col
leagues have done 90 win public
mention was fiaHco Of a trotiing
meet given last summer. TrOtting
races were held n Madison park:
the public refused 10 attend and the
meet was failure No pretense
was made that there was anything
public about the enterprise.
This year. however the private
individuals interested viii possibly
make profit ont ~ the counfy's
money The public has no control
over the manner In which the
$40 GOO n 10 BE- spent. The COM
missioners don't care what happens
to the I0o00. as long a. the tax
payers do not get the benefit OF It.
On the Quiet
To make this graft possible. the
association promises to advertise
King county By holding a cattle and
agricultural show Farmers and
persons interested in this line Of
work declare they never even heard
~ the association they know
nothing about H.
The farmers and stockmen are
satisfied with the showing made
iast year al the exposition. They
want no private concern TO run an
exhibition for profit al the expense
~ themselves and other tsxpay-
ers. The people have no means OF
participating IN the graft at all
Spend the Money.
The commissioners have prac-
ticaliy given the $4,000 10 a pri-
vate corporation TO do with II what
ever they see III. The only obliga-
ton imposed hy the commissioners
Il for this corporation to spend the
money As long as the money Is
expended the commissioners are
satisfied.
what makes the graft the more
outrageous Is the fact that NJ. j.
Carrigan. Dan r.. Abraham and A
l.. Rutherford county commissions
ers, are also directors in the cor
poration. The stockholders and d.
rectors Will have the deciding Of
what ~ to be done with the profits,
II any are made CarrIgan. Ahra-
ham and Rutherford are. as direc-
tors Of a private corporation. in on
the spending OF the peoples money.
A Happy Thought.
This Is the first time that the COM
missioners have hit upon this par
ticular method Of squandering the
taxpayers money No public hear
ing was held upon the matter and
no publicity was given IT, The
commissioners kept Il quiet until 1t
was done II was done IN a minute.
Carrigan. Abraham and Rutherford.
directors OF the private corporation.
the Western Washington Fair as
sociation, threw off their directors
cloaks FOR minute, donned those OF
county commissioners and voted
$4,000 of the peoples money TO the
private corporation Of which they
are directors. II there are any prof
its, as there probably win be. they
viii be divided with Carrigan. Ahra-
ham and Rutherford. sitting as pri-
vate directors Of the corporation.