Williams news., 1912-02-10
COUNTY DIVISION
 NOTES OF INTEREST

the sincerity of the county division movement they should have been at the mass meeting of the citizens of Williams last Monday night. The meeting lasted over two hours, and, not only was every available space in the city hall occupied, but the crowd overhowed into the pass age-way and the street. It is safe to say that no such public meeting was ever held in Williams The size of the crowd was only exceed ed by the enthusiasm, and as the speakers made different points on the subject of county division, the meeting assumed the aspect of political iollifcation. And what they did do to old General In- creased Taxationl It was shame! The poor old veteran of many a hard fought battle asked for his crutch in the early stages of the game. The General is not feeling we'll, anyhow, these days.
 Just a word to our Flagstaff | friends: The citizens and taxpay- CTS of the western end of Coconino county have approached the matter | of dividing the county without lmalice, bitterness or unfriendliness toward anyone. It is purely busi- ness matter, and should be treated as such, regardless of sentimentality or personality. The present is not lthe time to wash the dirty linen of either the eastern or vest
 ern end of Coconino county before the people of the new state of Ari-
 zona, and we sincerely trust that
 no such attempt will be made. We Ihave dwelt together in various de
 grees of peace, prosperity and har-
 mony ever since we sprang as a
 lusty infant fresh from the mother
 breast of fgood old Yavapai'' twen- | ty years ago. We now believe we
 have reached that stage of natural development where our mutual in
 terests demand a separation; and
 if this be true, we trust it may be accomplished with dignity and or lder, and without that spirit of in, Tolerance which, later, must be re.
 gretted by all. No hastily spoken | word, exaggerated statement ol questionable act will defeat or gair
 county division. Facts, and facts l alone, must and will prevail.
 | It shall, therefore, be the purpose lof The News in the future to dea
 with few of the leading facts upor which the citizens of the western end of Coconino county base theil
 claims for county division. If a
 any time statement appears 1T these columns the authenticity O l which is doubted, a line addressed
 to the editor of The News will pro duce the requisite proof; or, if proc of the statement be impossible, { : published correction of the state ment will be frankly made.
 Il If Coconino county should b' divided, the eastern portion anc the western portion would eacl
 have a larger assessed valuation o taxable property than over 20 pc cent of the counties of Arizona. Il
 other words, the eastern portion
 which would be Coconino county } and the western portion, whicl
 would be the new county, woul' each have larger assessed prop
 erty valuation than either Mojave
 Santa Cruz, Navajo or Apache, an'
 very near, if not quite, as great a
 Yuma and Pinal.
 ) Did you ever stop to think wha ) it costs to administer the grea : county of Coconino on account q : it's vast size-a county larger Ii
 territorial area than many of tn g eastern states and what could b 3 saved of that cost should the coun l ty be divided?
 : Think it over, and we will giv
 you some interesting comparison