Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-05-08
The Sentinel Has A Kick.

been attached to the Dent road district
and special tax levied to build the
North Fork grade eight miles from
Orofino. no new road work can be done
this season. If the proposed east-side
road over the Jericho hill were decided
upon nothing could be done because
the limit special tax has already been
ordered to be spent where it will never
do the northern property bit OF good.
Meanwhile the south end is getting
about all OF the loose meney in the
county treasury for local purposes
money of which the north and east
sides pay about 80 per cent and from
which they are never allowed fair
proportion for local improvements.
The north Fork grade is sorely needed,
it is more nearly work of general
benefit than any enterprise SO far pro-
posed except a court house. Yet the
general funds are used for local free
lunches in the Clearwater valley and
this project of general interests is showed
off on local community most of which
can never use ii.
The populous south end of Clear
water county has neither shame nor
conscience. It wants local improve
ments made at great expense by the
general funds of the county, to which
it contributes barely ten cents on the
dollar. When an improvement is
wanted by the north or east sides,
which pay 80 cents in each dollar OF
county revenue, the Improvement is
denied, delayed or paid by a special
tax so levied as to exempt the charity
seekers who, like the daughter of the
horse leech, cry: "Give! Give"
The North Fork road is a case in
point. It is a highly necessary i'm
provement, giving the Dent and Big
Island countries an outlet to the North
ern Pacific at Ahsahka and will enable
settlers to market their products and
encourage new settlers tt. come in.
1t will be the main part of road that
will tie the county together and per-
nit the Elk River region to reach the
Clearwater valley without two-days
rail journey, 1t will benefit the south
end by increasing trade and promoting
travel.
B, Yet the little expense Of $3.50 to
complete the canyon section Of this
road is not to be paid out of the general
funds OF the county, but is to be raised
by special levy on district cunning.
ly devised so as to relieve from pay
ment most of those benefited and rob
property which will never in thous
and years get any use or benefit
from it.
On the other hand Us, 900 bridge
!, was built at Orofino for the benefit O.
a handful Of well-to-do farmers on th'
Gilbert bench who already had goot
roads and good ferry to railroad ant
market. In other words they charges
their private ferry bills to the count.
forever-and the north and east side
of the county are held up for 80 cent
on the dollar Of that money.
Nor is this all. Another group o
local interests want a $4,000 bridge on
" four miles from Orofino for thei
private use, although they have al
ready a good and cheap ferry-that a
Ahsahka. and another small grou
wants and will be given another ex
pensive bridge at Greer, only eigh
miles from Orofino, although thei
roads and ferry are already good
These and other purely local improve
ments are charged to the general fund
OF the whole county, while the Pierce
Elk River and North Fork taxpayer
are deliberately stung for so per Ger
Of these private expenses Of the pow
ers that prey.
The way the scheme was worked tn
Dent road district No. 16, was enlarge
to include about all the north end ,
the county except the Elk River roa
district, and special levy OF 2 IL mil
was made therein at the April meetin
Of the board expressly to finish Il
North Fork grade, which is with
eight miles Of Orofino. This enlarge
district comes within mile and ha
of Elk River and runs north to Shoshor
county. Thus the Elk River is aga
made the goat. When the Clearwat
valley wants anything-it is always
the free lunch counter-it gets it at Il
cost of the whole county but when Il
real taxpayers need an improveme
they can only get it by a special levy
themselves. It is an unfair, one-sid
arrangement.
The new boundaries Of district 16 al
beginning at the Shoshone coun
line at the NE corner of Ala ca
thence west to the North Fork a
down the middle of that stream to J,
above Ahsahka, thence north in an
regular line to and along the Lat
county line to the north line OF 38-l ca
thence east to the Sc corner OF IS