Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1910-10-21
A FAIR PROPOSITION
Proposed Nesmith County MAJ.
Support of Voters nl

The people of southern Ian
Northern Douglas counties, nnms ana
ing more than eight thousand Osi' sn',
feeling that they are ouaIif,as vus'
economically administer their %
affairs from governmental osa
point, have initiated bill %" S.aud'
creation of new county to be h. Sros .ls
as Nesmith, in honor of James v"l W,vl
Nesmith, pioneer whose ns
shines in the armament of il,ua.
GUS Oregonians. The proca. l,
county would contoin 1.946 pvsea Opv
miles, of which lap would susls sas
from Lane and 46S from Dona'uAs SJ'As
leaving the former zoos Snsa
miles and the latter 4,393 ssuas
miles, a sufficient area from wt1ls t
to still form several counties the si,a
of Multnomah, Hood River. Colu~ S'
bia and Washington. The to,a,
assessed valuation of Nesmia
county would be S5.SO9 -.
leaving Lane $4,000, 900 az ~,
country within the proposed ro~ my
county is capable of maintainino
organization that would. we haliora
be to the best interests of the naon', o
embraced within the territory % a.s
at the same time not deprive otho. is
people affected of their rights ~.
increase their burdens, nor wors n
them any injury whatsoever.
Owing to the large area Of N,
two old counties affected MANY rasi
dents are put to great inconveniercs
delay and expense in transactip,
business at the county seats To com,
pei residents to travel from twenty
to sixty miles over bad roads in u.
der to pay their taxes, serve ON
iuries, or as witnesses, is to inflit
hardship upon them; yet It is mora
a matter of self-government "a,
which the progressive people of thi,
proposed county are contendng
Taxation and representation shOuM
go hand in hand, but not so undp,
present conditions. For instance
Cottage Grove, the second city N
size and Importance in Lane county
has never been permitted to name
county Judge, and it has been
quarter century since It had renre.
sentation on the county board Of
commissioners; while the territor
from Douglas county has never had
either county Judge or commission.
er. The representatives in the state
legislature are from the comfy
and Roseburg-thus
leaving a large taX-contributing com.
munity without voice in either local
or state affairs. Ninety-two per cent
of the residents within the proposed
Nesmith county signed the petition.
the voters Of Oregon 10
grant them self-government by the
creation of the new county, while one
particular section Immediately out.
side the original boundary lines petl.
toned the Nesmith committee for
admission to the new county, prefer.
rinng to take chances with the new
rather than to remain with the old.
This shows conclusively that the sen.
timent of the taxpayers of the pro.
posed new county are practically I'm.
animous in favor Of division
Jointly Lane and Douglas have
5,S00.000 acres, or more than the
entire Willamette valley, and of this
vast area, only a million and a quar-
ter are asked by The new county,
The people within the territory Of
proposed Nesmith county are pre-
senting their case TO the voters Of
the state without the slightest mis-
representation, pinning their faith In
the voters to support their conten-
ton that local self-government Is the
ideal form of government; that the
nearer home government is cheaper
that laws are more effectually en-.
forced; that greater development Of
country Is possible, that better high
ways are attainable; that its citizens
are convenienced by nearness to the
seat Of government; that taxation
AVID renresentation 60 hand in hand,
and that by the creation of Nesmlth
county the efforts of a large and pro-
gressive community would be rem
1ered more effective in increasing
oonulation, developing the resources
md enhancing the greatness Of Ore
yon.