The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1915-09-10
A FIERCE EXHIBIT

| , The Sunday issue of tho snol,.s,,o,
| sttotieW contained a page devoted 70 a
| craaso IA exposure of the criminal in
ments i rn inc inc cost Of the county govern
| ih ~, - III the state of Washington within
mi Pdst ilVe years. 1t is a revelation TO the
| an in,,, anu a revelation that should be
| nnitaS e aotfXe ior the people to take some
| unleeu actlon in an effort to corract tbe
suoWlhg riot of extravaganza whila tbay,
- Iie up ana take notice. The patient and
d b,5 suIilellng tax payer meets the annual
| ~ iaiu against him in the way of taxes
tS pest he can, growing to find that while
| TGie ~ no perceptible increase in the
f t1ree od ms property if he desires to sell,
CS'NeS are reg ularly, perSistentlv incron Gin o,
| rom year to year. He does NOT know WIZ
tliis should be, and he is too busv irving
TO tai RHt tb enough to meet this annual toucR
| ~ H. l'tNe tle time and trouble to investisate
| lie looks at it as one of the affIicfions
tiIat mix IN the scheme of things. and ali
Ia re iid Is 10 90 Is to bear the yoke and thank
| 1ou that the taxing powers leave MIN :.
pttance upon which to live. He cootini,as
~ ~ iishoranee, though restless and fault
diiisuiils under the gaff, until some such
I'.Sa}s IRE is made as the array of pub
| ,,9iteu nsures, showing reckless waste
WIN u mighty poor brand of govern n1ent
~ ~ return, then his wrath breaks forth.
anpea lraqiHS OF the tabulated figures that
'ppSareu In the Spokesman Review Gre
lieu a sensation here. What may follow
| lSHIdlilS yet to be seen, but some action
faU U9'u r. pt taken to remedy the shameful
l'uit II the authorities can be forced TO
tppii Soiile remedy. 1t is the consensus of
opinion that something must he done Ia
~" IN d hdit on the willful waste of public
ruiius' Wnlch, II continued another five
years, vii mean the confiscation Of most
~ ~ tne property in the county. In the face
~ sutn showing as presented by these
S.atlStlCs IL requires nerve to invite any
one TO settle in Okanogan county to make
nome. 1t is almost an invitation 10 he
S'4upasged ana robbed 1t almost arouses
ueslre To make armed resistance against
the tax gatherer. There is something rad
l,auy wrong somewhere in the present
ne, oil conducting county affairs when
tIle expenses or government so far out
stIip growth In population and wealth.
for the benefit of those who have not
seen the horrible array of figures present
eu Dy the spokesman Review, this paper
proposes to quote some of them They
VIII shock the reader, but the figures are
cold, rletutable facts taken from the rec
ords. The tables of figures show the in
crease of cost of county government in
me state covering the past five years. The
lotaI increase cost of county government
III tne state from 1909 to 1914 is the stu
pendous sum of $1,6944 Ago. Every county
IN the state, with very, very few excep-
IONS, snow a fearfully increased cost OF
government, with very slight Increase
oil population, and to our disgrace be 1t
SAID that the percentage OF increase IN
cost OF government in Okanogan county
eastern Washington. The figures are ap-
palllng. Here is the Okanogan county
showing. Prepare TO have your gorge
Cost of county government-1909 $47 1921;
ESQ. 90 WV
Per centage table-Population per cent
Of increase, 20.50; county government
per centage of increase cost, 1O4.44
County government costs compared, Of
flee, travelling, postage and incidental
1914. Sl2,77S; per cent increase, 1858.
Expenditure of county funds for henev-
Gigent relief-19O9, $453; 1914 $4,S62; per
cent increase for five years 5000, per
eent Increase of reputation, 2o;5O.
per cent of increase 1890.
Expenditures in prosecuting attorneys
ciilce-l9O9, $l,96l; 1914 1921; per cert
sheriff's officeEi9O9. $685.; 1914. $s.55e;
Der cent of increase, 1909
Actual eX;peendinturress for elesctiye officers
$i,9S5; 19i4 $2,7G5 Assessor, 1903, $4,s
1914 $S,O7l. School superintendent, 1909,
S1,727:. 1914, S2,672. Engineer 1909, SO. 6SS |
1914, $l5,545, County commissioners, 1909,
The author of this statistical article is
Ed. ID. Cowen, one of the Oldest brightest
and best known newspaper men in the |
state. He is Il glutton for work and his
faculty for pryng information out of mus
tY records is uncanny. When he takes up |
a subject of this kind he leaves nothing to
guess work He adds to nor subtracts |
nothing from documentary evidence. He |
confines himself to cold blooded facts and |
tcle of this kind for publication he leaves
no loop hole for successful contradiction. |
The reader can rest assured that the fig |
lues that he has compiled in the tables |
of county expenditures are taken directly |
from official reports and can be depended |
upon. The story of growing extravaganza
in county government as he tells it in |
tables of figures is not pleasant reading, |
but it is something the public should know
and knowing it, devise some ways and
means for correcting a growing evil.
C. w. Mooney, was in town from
Chesaw Sunday.
w. A. Robinson was in town from
Nelson Saturday.
Julian Champneys, of Nighthawk,
was a visitor in town Friday.
Miss Cora l.. Smith, of Okanogan,
was q visitor in town Sunday.