The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1914-10-24
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY

PROSECUTING ATTORNEY s
The office of prosecuting attor-
ney is one of Importance to any
county. The character of its ad-
ministration will determine large-
ly the class of people allowed to
remain in the county whether
the populace shall be inflicted
with tin-horns, bootleggers. gam
blers, sports, horsethieves, or
whether law-abiding people shall
have a chance to live in peace.
A prosecuting attorney who will
take bribes or wink at offenders
can have an easy job for a time
until he is ousted from Office.
But a prosecutor who cakes up
all matters brought to him. sifts
the facts, starts proceedings when
necessary, and who makes an
effort to aid the people in right
| living, has his hands full in Stew
ems county, for the extent of'the
county and the variety of troubles
which spring from scattered set
Elements are matters which make
the prosecutor work hard and
varied.
Stevens county's criminal ex-
pense, taken on an average dur
ing the last 10 years, has not
been great, in the prosecuting
attorneys Office. Very many
matters come up which are ad-
Indicated in justice court, or set
tied out of court by little good
sense on the part of the prose
cutor. Cases of a personal ma
ture are daily brought to the
Office, which have no place in
county affairs, yet which If al
lowed to pass may in the end
turn into a criminal case Of great
expense. The prosecutor must
be man who has the interest of
the county at heart, and who will
take time to settle small matters
before they verge into a criminal
case.
An important part of the duties
of prosecuting attorney is that of
advisor and legal representative
of all other county officials, and
attorney in fact for the county
itself. In cases of tax foreclos-
ure, suits against the county, or
action against any county official,
the prosecutor is the attorney
for the county's interests. He
must draw up or verify contracts,
tax cases, county judgments,
and handle mothers pension cases.
In naturalization or divorce cases,
he represents the states inter-
ests. And beginning next year,
he will add the duties of coroner
to his work.
In Stevens county, the matter
of tax collections has been a
h avy burden on the office, but
in two cases alone the prosecut-
ing attorney has saved this coun-
ty enough to pay all the salaries
and expenses of the Office for the
last ten years. Hence capable
lawyer, who can not be bought,
is worth something to this county.
In 1908 Prosecuting Attorney
Rockford saved this county about
$4,000 from the Great Northern
railroad in tax case which he
had to take to the supreme court,
and in 1914 John B. Slater, with
Rockford associated, won the
First Thought tax case which
saved this county about $14, 600.
Tax cases under other admins
trations have been lost.
Many questions have been rails
ed in incorporated towns as to
the position of the prosecuting
attorney in enforcing the local
option law, and it is evident that
number of people do not under
stand the state law on the SUBJ
ject. The local option law differs
from most other laws. in that it
makes each incorporated town a
separate unit, and the county it.
self outside of towns another
unit. Each unit has its own
power to enforce the local option
law, and can appropriate yearly