The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1912-08-23
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

The ConcOnully Record. in its effort
10 discredit statements recently pub
lished in the Methow News comparing
the cost of conducting the business of
Okanogan county with that OF Island
county, in which Okanogan county
makes very poor showing, is resort
ing to misrepresentation This Is
done in order to head off the rapidly
growing sentiment in favor of county
division, and is only sample of the
lengths opponents will go in the dis
cnssion OF that question What the
News published Is actual fact. taken
from. the records of the two counties.
and the evidence. cannot be refuted
by misrepresentation or denial Those
figures show that while this large
county ran in debt $50. 900 in the past
year. debt that will annually in
crease so long as Okanogan county
continues its present size, Island coun-
ty, one OF the smallest in the state
had a balance to the good last wear
amounting to 5000. This Is small
amount, but it is the difference be-
tween being on a cash basis in Island
county on the one hand, and a steady
drifting toward bankruptcy in Okan
ogan county on the other. II is ona OF
the strongest arguments in favor OF
county division 50 far presented. and
should be taken home to every tax
payer and carefully considered before
he votes at the primary election for
representative.
But Island county Is not the ONLY
one that make| . financial showing 80
much more favorable than Okanogan
county as to cause taxpayers to sit
up and take notice, and wonder whv
they have submitted 50 long and IA.
tiently to legaliZed robbery. and wby
they have not always been active and
enthusiastic county 1lyisionists. Take
Asotin county for instance. one OF the
Oldest counties in the state. in topog-
raphy, population valuation and size.
very similar to what the proposed new
county OF Tonasket, Osoyoog, or what
you VIII, would be. The auditors an
hnal report for 1911 shows the total
assessed valuation OF Asotin county to
have been $3,653.G70 The total tax
levy for state and county purposes
was IL mills. The total tax levy for
state and county purposes in Okanog-
an county was - mills. The lfabilj-
Ties or Asotin county are warrant in
debtedness s933.G3; county bond in
debtedne5s $500 Resources S45.Og2 -
IL; resources over liabilities sI912s
A. In Okanogan county the total war
rant indebtedness IL Tor vas January
-. .-ssrJ r1u.5h more now
y5nd p6z.,cf "a 30. =.
leaving liabilities over resources OF
s101.0l1J2,
Now what do you think OF that?
These are no trumped up, padded fig
ures. but are taken from the sworn Of
fciel reports. Can any nan in the face
OF this record continue to insist that
smaller county. (or Two or three of
them for that NATTER cannot be run
at less cost than the cumbersome
county Of Okanogan? These figures
are reflection on no one They are
cold facts ihar cannot be r4futed o.
explained away. AsOtin county is TAX
en- because it will compare with the
proposed new north end county. IL is
broken, portion Of it Is in q national
forest reserve. and it is an old estab-
lished county
Take Wahkiakum county, one Of the
oldest Subdivisions 1f the state and
small one. Its assessed valuation is
81 ,933, ,331. The tax levy for 1911 was
Ii-ui HILLS. lLS LOLdI resources were
2l,410-60; warrant Indebtedness So
1888. Resources over liabilities s23.-
1861, Compare this showing with
that OF Okanogan county. and have not
the people of the north end good
grounds for asking for division ,
Should not every fair minded citizen
OF the entire present county favor di-
vision:
Take the new county Of Grant. Tho
state and county levy is only 1876
mills. Resources s3020567; liabili-
ties s21,9es.43. There is no desire to
deceive in this discussion Of a ques-
ton in which every property owner
( is vitality Interested. and it is added
that the assessed valuation in Grant
county is very high, it having many
miles Of railroad. but that county was
organized only thre or four years ago.
and for a new county is making A
handsome showing
Let the people take home 10 them
selves these figures. and then consid-
ering the heavy indirect tax levied up
on every man having business calling
, him to the county seat under present
conditions, ask himself If he as an
I indiv-idrr2l bold i