Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-03-30
ARGUMENT OF COMMITTEE.
Continued from Page g.

lhAuLI NlIIN VI N'N'A'A''AA NfANs
Continued from Page 6)
distance to Cottage Grove is but
.hjrtv-fve miles. Think of it! In
order for the inhabitants of the Bo-
Semia district to reach Roseburg it
e necessary to travel distance
"onal TO one-third the distance
cross the state, and to get to Eu-
zone a distance equal to one-fifth
thp distance across the state.
Area of the Counties.
The county of Lane is situated at
+b,, head of the Willamette valley and
has an area of 1880 square miles,
canal to about 2,S00,00O acres.
Douglas county, bounded on the
north by the low crest of the Gala
pooia mountains, and on the south
by spurs of the Canyon mountains,
has 1851 square miles, or approXi
mately 100000 acres. From these
figures the reader will readily COM
prehend the vastness of these coun-
Ties either of which nearly equals
the area of the state of Connecticut
and are larger than several of the
states Of the union. The Willamette
valley, an empire in itself, which
some day will be the home of two
millions of prosperous, happy and
contented people, and the name and
fame of which garden spot is known
throughout the civilized worlds so
miles in length and having an aver
age width of GO miles-contains
about 100000 acres, or only ap-
prOximately twO-fifths more than
either Lane or Douglas counties.
These counties were organized
fifty years or more ago, when the
area embraced was sparsely settled
and their great resources undeVelop-
ed Their joint area, it will be oh
served. from figures given above, is
9,241 square miles, while the joint
area of eleven other counties in Ore
gOn is but 9,423. Clatsop, with $50
square miles Columbia, with GIT;
Washington. with IT'S; Yamhill,
with III; Polk, with 701; Benton,
with 677; Tillamook, with Lib;
Marion with 1170; Clackamas,
with 1861; Multnomah, with 429,
and Hood River, with 543, combined
have only 1872 square miles more
area than Lane and Douglas jointly.
And yet the people find it to their
interest to maintain these eleven
separate county organizations in this
territory, . and are seeking to create
new county from Clackamas. Pom.
der these facts. for facts they are,
and render your decision at the polls
on November s, 1910.
Lack of Representation.
That the contentious of the pro-
gressiye people within the territory
Of the proposed county of Nesmith
are justifiable has, we believe, been
clearly established The country
within its boundaries is capable of
maintaining an organization that
would be to the best interests of the
people embraced within that terri
tory, and at the same time not de-
priye any other people affected of
lheir rights, or increase their bur-
dens, or work them any injustice;
unless to deprive them of the privil-
ege OF collecting revenue from resi-
dents of the seeding territory with
out Just distribution of benefits in
return therefor should be considered
a vested right to the county seats of
lhe existing counties.
Inc county judges and county
commissioners of the respective
counties have complete and absolute
control of all county funds, and al
30 OF all roads and bridges. Cot
'age Grove, the second city in point
VI population in Lane county, has
never been allowed to name a county
Judge, and it has been twenty-four
years since this section of the coun-
" mad a representative on the board
VI commissioners. That portion Of
douglas county included in the pro.
poseu Nesmith county has never had
elner county Judge or a county
eommissloner, and the legislative
representatives from both the exist
as counties in question are from
counties
Would Work No Injury.
ne taking of 1,472 square miles
nom Lane county by the creation Of
Tesnlth county would not result det-
o,n so,,mneItally to that county. 1t would
~ 'i nave 2,9OS square miles miles
territory and would continue to
v one OF the richest counties in di-
IN io's.ned and undeve'oped resources
vol % 'ne state, 1t is rich in agricultu-
an horticultural timber, grazing
HUN au mineral lands, while it has the
Sea. SeauuIul Mckenzie river, one of the
paais uhlalling water-powers in the
wo,i9 c Northwest In addition, it
Of SIia oG nave nave remaining a population
Ana 'hOOO energetic empire-builders
tbsr Sn assessed valuation of more
iSSSD slS,OOO,0OO, which will be rap
so5roa multiplied as its wonderful re-
wb,oL are developed, and an area
GEM. I'oh can be exploited with as much
sbouisse pride as could be possible
To t'S,u p II retain the area proposed
Nesmei,p organized into the county of
Inc as 70 Douglas, it would never miss
takspp ppa''ry 46S square miles thus
ssne II would stiu have 4.393