The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1910-10-20

that it would cost too much to
build another court house and main
tain another county organi Zation.
Let me say right now, that Stanley
county S. ID. is one of the largest
counties in the world today. that
it costs away beyond the average
according to population, and is one
of the poorest governed Of any in
the United States. Why! Simply
because it is too big. Second be-
cause the county seat we have. is
in the worst possible position it
could be. If it was anywhere near
the center, nobody would hol-
Ter very loud at this time for divi-
sion even though it was too big,
but under the present circumstan-
ces. if we had no county seat at all.
| Fort Pierre would be consid Il
the last place and the mo>t incoIt-
venient spot in Stanley county for
it. But even if it was convenient
ly located the county is still too
big, and there is too much business
for one office to handle.
| Did you ever write letter to the
county treasurer to ask him about
your taxes or anything else you
had right to know! Yes, no
doubt you have. Did you ever
get an answer, echo answers, did
youl" And the answer is No"
Why not! Because first. no one
living man could answer by mail,
all the questions all the people feel
they have right to ask in a coun-
lty SO large. Second, the law does
mot require him to answer by mail,
any questions at all, and the county
does not furnish either stationery
or postage for that purpose, but
presumes that every tax payer
must, if he wants any information
at all, 60 to the county seat at least
once year and get it. But to re-
turn to the extra cost of another
county. The levey for 1908 was
s73, 900, for 1911, 100000, for
county general purposes, in round
numbers, or an increase of $40, 900
per year. Excess mileage is the
principal factor in this increase,
there is no more land, and some of
our opponents say not nearly so
many people here now as three
years ago.
If it would cost more now to di-
vide Stanley county and maintain
two organizations, why was any
state ever divided into counties at
all2 Why not have all our busi-
ness done at the capital and be
done with itl There are very few
states in the union that have any
territory further from the state
capital than Interior is from Fort
Pierre by rail today. The reason
why states are divided into coun.
ties at all, is because it is cheaper
to control the state when subdivi-
ded into reasonable sized counties,
than to try to do it all in one place,
and with one set of books. Did
you ever keep set of booksg If
so, do you not know that after you
get all one man can handle, you
have enough for one set9 Do you
not know that one man or. person
has to have all there is in one book
in his own head in order to have
them kept perfectly, and don't you
know that it is practically impos-
sible for two people to work on the
same set of books9 This is true,
and therefore the reason why the
business of any county should not
be so heavy that one man can not
handle his particular set of books.
and also have time to answer the
questions that you, Mr.. tax payer,
have ! right to ask.
liz il costs more to run two de-
cent size counties than it does one
overarown one then all the ex-
perionce Of al the wisest men Of
all time has gone for naught ever
since ~ history Of the world be-