The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1916-05-25

AprOpOs to the proposed County
Hospital, and "lest we forget" some
pains have been taken to obtain and
place before the citizens of Twin
Falls County, certain salient facts
very pertinent to the situation. 1t is
understood that the County Commits
sioners have practically decided that
such an improvement shall be made;
so that the excuse for this paper-if
it needs any, other than the fact of
its reference to a matter of general
public interest-lies in a desire to
awaken favorable sentiment and to
hasten the day of fruition.
In the first place, let us take a
glance at the territory and the peo-
pie involved-at Twin Falls County
and the inhabitants thereof. The ex-
act area of the large county is unim-
portant Suffice it to say that it
contains about 10000 acres of land
susceptible to irrigation and prodig-
iously productive when irrigated
and that something like two hundred
thousand acres are now under wat
er" and giving returns to the agri-
culturist absolutely unheard of, even
in the rich states of the middle west
We will hardly need to recapitulate
here the authenticated figures re-
garding last years crops. 1t has
been published to the world how
seed crops brought cash returns of
from one hundred dollars per acre for
alfalfa and alsike to three hundred
and fifty-seven dollars per acre for
white clOver-not on a single acre,
but from tracts of from five to eighty
acres; and not in a single instance,
but in hundreds of theml Also, re-
garding the marvellous profits from
grain, from beans, from beets, from
fruits and vegetables, from the dairy,
from hogs, from sheep especially, and
from hay, worth locally at this writ
ing twenty dollars per ton, in spite
of the enormous quantity grown!
OF course the land thus changed
in decade from a desert to a gar
den of Eden has become valuable
The County Assessor advises that the
average-ayerage, mind you-valua-
ton for the purpose of taxation is
$50.43 per acre; and that the total
valuation of the County for same
purpose is, approximately and in
round numbers, twenty millions OF
dollars. Within the confines of this
favored section there is now popu-
lation of over twenty thousand souls,
high, upon the average, in intelli-
gence and refinement, as is abund
antly evidenced by the costly and
magnificent provision for schools,
both as to buildings, personnel and
courses of study, by the fine and
well attended churches and by the
general high and lawrabiding tone
and temper constantly manifest.
In a community of the kind and
character indicated, adequate and am
pie provision for the INDECENT and
unfortunate who are, upon bible au
thority, always with us" would nat
urally be expected. But when inQui-
ry is made in Twin Falls County re-
garding that particular feature of
modern civilization, the enquirer feels
like saying, Gone thing thou Iackest!"
And the default is, at present so abb
solute as to be shameful
Inquiry at the Auditors office,
where eleemosynary expenditures are
recorded, developed the fact that.
during the year 1915 something over
seven thousand dollars were thus ex-
pended Mr.. Stewart, the bookkeep-
er, who kindly put in a half days
investigation, reported the names of
over fifty persons who received aid
(of course in their own homes)
from the county during last year;
and as many of them were heads of
families, the total number would be
at least twice as great It is also
certain that many of these needed
medical attendance and hospital ser
vice-a fact further evidenced by the
payment of $7O5.61 to a doctor, or
doctors, and $7476O Hospital
charges"
Following up the inquiry as to
what was done for those who needed
everything shelter, clothing, food
and care, it developed that the coun-
ty was maintaining an alleged poor
house," although in the same breath
we we're advised that the plant had
been condemned as unsanitary by the
State Health Officer, and that temp
orary occupancy was only permitted
as an emergency expedientl Seeing
is believing" and if every citizen of