Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-01-02
COUNTY DIVISION
OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF
To GRAYS HARBOR SECTION
A PURELY BUSINESS PROPOSE
TiON TO BE DETERMINED SOLE.
~ FROM A BUSINESS STAND
POINT. CONCERTED EFFORT
APPARENT TO THROTTLE AGI-
TAriON OF THE SUBJECT

The Elma Chronicle is inclined to
become hysterical over the movement
coking toward a division OF
Chehals county, and like most folks
in that state of mind, becomes con-
fused as to facts. For instance, the
Chronicle says:
There is no reasonable cause fol
a division of the county at this time
The plan was tried and failed when
there was more reason and better
conditions for division than at pres,
ent. A majority of the people of the
county voted against division, and
larger majority would vote against it
if the question were to be brought up
again"
I he fact is that the reason for di-
vision four years ago-the inconveni
ence of 10 per cent of the population
Of the county through the location
Of the county seat-still exists, ano
IS agG Gravated by the astonishing eX-
,ravaeancc displayed in building the
leW courthouse fer the express pur-
pose Of perpetuating that expensive
Inconvenience upon the setcion that
pays nearly so per cent of the county
taxes. Another fact is that the peo-
pie never voted upon division. They
voted upon removal of the county
seat, and carried it by three-ffths ma
jorty, had the vote been honestly
counted and returned.
1t was by reason of this belief that
the west end of the county had been
defrauded in the election that divs-
ion was reSorted to. the necessary
legislation enacted, and the act of the
Legislature nulified by supreme
court-some of whose members were
not above suspicion of shady decis-
ions-On fimsy technicality. There
was no doubt of the meaning of the
Legislature in the matter, yet the tax
payers of the county were compelled
to pay $1,000 as attorney fee for a
technical decision that thwarted the
expressed will of large majority of
themselves.
here was no particular desire on
9rays WARRIOR for division four years
igC, but the demand for square deal
was loud and it is insis ent today.
The dog is firing of being wagged by
the tail The only argument against
r,u'er Of population that could be
called argum ent, was The cost Of
court house. It was pointed out that
The old building was good enough
for ten years, and that to change
would require a new one at a cost of
at least 100000 AS an instance of
the duplicity used it may be recited
hat a. county commissioner, who was
loudest in decaming against the cost
of a new court house, was at the time
negotiating with an architect in North
Yakima for plans for 100000 struc-
ture for this county, and actually had
them prepared. and the records will
show $1,000 was paid for them, al
though they were not used.
This was quickly followed by the
more elaborate building nbw being
finished-a structure that puts Che
halls county in the class with that
other freak, the chap with patent
leather pumps and no socks. The
idea of such a sum of money-not
less than ,000-being put into
county buildings in a county with
less than 10000 population is not cal
culated to induce the investment of
capital to develop the resources of
this region, but to the contrary AS a
leading manufacture of Grays HarbOr
recently remarked to the writer,
pointing to the new building at Mon
tesano: There is costly monu-
ment to the absurd rivalry between
Aberdeen and Hoquiam, upon which
certain politicians play as upon a mu-
steal instrument"
To escape paying for this building,
that they did not want and fought
against, the people of Grays HarbOr
are termed "Welcher" by the Chron-
icle. The Slang of the turf defines
"Welcher" as one who un-
dertakes to escape the payment of
an obligation voluntarily entered in
to. There is no similarity in the po-
sition of the vast majority of the peo-
pie of the Harbor. They stand near
er the position of the individual who
would escape paying a prommisory
note that had been secured from him
by fraud. AS remarked above, there