The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-09-24
WY DIVISION
SHOULD FAIL
y, More Facts and Figures
or County Divisionists
to Ponder Over.

v-.skia and otlteS WHO "ishou " oii
~ support of the Grangeville Com
m.a,aI club in an effort to create
~ county, to be called SelWay, out
p..-r,tory TO be contributed by Lewis
", Idaho counties. The visitors were
~ s.rtoined with the customary Grange
.u,a hospitality. Their arguments We're
,,.,ared TO with close attention, but
49, commercial eli b, very rightly, de-
',,.sa TO take action for or against
sonntv division. In this action the
.,nh was guided by the vote of the
clearwater river towns and the Clear
sater river country two years ago, all
!, which voted with practical unanimity
.gainst county division in the general
.sction of 1872 and nothing has oc-
,nrred in that time to justify such
sudden change of opinion as the visit
ors alleged had taken place.
Narrower the Kamiah end of the
combination proposed to include por
tion of Lewis county in the new coun-
Il and the Grangeville Commercial club
properly refused to be a party to any
such division without the consent of
Lewis county being first asked and OBJ
. tanned
Another feature of the affair was the
fact that the visitors from the river
towns came here with no definite plans
or boundary lines for the proposed new
county. They did not know what they
wanted There was clearly a total lack
of harmony among themselves The
Sites contingent threatened insurgency
II the Clearwater and Elk City regions
we're not included in the Selway coun
~, ma nnODle
Woodland country were not only not
unanimous for county division, but at
that time they were divided on this
question of annexation to Lewis or
Clearwater counties. With all these
divergent views existing. the Grange
vile Commercial club referred the Wis
itors to the laws governing the subject,
especially the referendum. and dismiss
ed them with a blessing
or course, our Cottonwood neighbors
were quick to see a golden opportun-
ity to form an "entente cordiale' with
the river towns, of which they have
made the most, as the recent primary
election shows The seeds of prejudice
against Grangeville have been scattered
broadcast all over the northern coun-
try, and some mighty queer alliances
have been formed. On the legislative
division ticket we find our old and
tried Grangeville friend. Rev. J. b.
York. a life long prohibitioner, lined
up with wide open anti prohibition can
didates like Parker (of Cottonwood) and
Affair." while every Grangeville candi-
date was repudiated at the polls, thus
showing that this predatory alliance Is
more concerned with fighting Grange
vile than with any sincere desire to
create new counties along just and
equitable boundary lines.
l wish some division advocate would
show us how, why, when and where
the conditions have changed in Idaho
county in the past two years to justify
a change of opinion on the part of the
people, or to justify county division at
this time. AS a matter of fact, appar-
ent to all, the present conditions are
much less favorable for county division
than at any time in the past ten
years Our farm lands have undoubted-
ly reached their maximum value fol
some years to come. Our property val
uations are less than they were in 1913,
and our population is VIGOROUSLY less
than 1t has been at any time in tn
past six years. There is nothing to be
ashamed of in making this statement.
We are going through an experience
which all new countries have realized.
So many farmers and their families
have moved to Montana British Column
bia and Alberta in order to take advan-
tage of the cheaper lands offered to
settlers in those localities, that every
community in Idaho county has been af-
fected In 1918 the assessment roll
Tn
1914 the number Is reduced to 1862
The 1914 assessment roll also shows a
material reduction in values over 1913
The total vote in Idaho county for pres
ident in 1912 was 1884 1t is safe tt
say that the vote at the coming cleo
ton will be more than ten per cen
short of the 1912 vote
Moreover our farms are growing larg
er as our population diminishes. These
conditions of course, are only temper
airy, and will be bettered in the cours
of time. But in the meantime they arr
important factors to be reckoned with
and deserve the thoughtful attention o
every farmer and taxpayer in Idah
county, as they relate to county divi
sion
With the advance in land values her
W point Wnefe the average clllZel
cannot make interest on the. purchas
price of the land under present farm
Ing methods, he is necessarily force
to go where he can get cheaper land
Tor himself and growing sons an
daughters. Probably 500 families hav
lett Idaho county in the past ten year
Tor the regions of cheaper lands. TIL
exodus has been general throughout tn
united States, and is not yet complet
ed 1t is probable that as land value
advance in their new homes they wi
sell out and return again to good oil
iuaho county. But this is in the NOR
Ut less Immediate future, and do ne
aiIect conditions as they exist today.
rerhaps the arguments against coun
division can best be stated in con
crete form:
idaho county polled In 1912 1924 vote
m president, this being the highe.
so'e cast, as follows: For Taft, 9s,
'sor Roosevelt, l932: for Wilson, 1877!
,os pebs, 633; prohibition, 81; tot