The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-10-26

@1u'ion " 'iie ehree county
commissioners, the county !.
SCISSOR, and the county treasura..
we would have rs TOWNSHIP
overseers, Is township assessor
25 township treasurers. Or
township justices of peace Or
constables, Is poundmasters Or
town clerks, 25 new taxing bod
les, % sets of books to keen Or
records to keep, 225 town 81
ficers to be paid, and 725 diff,
ent ideas as to how roads sbor,,
be built.
Then again, under present
conditions it would be practicalI,,
impossible to subdivide the conn.
ty into towns unless some of II.
towns would be deprived of tbe
railroad taxes which are now
equalized thruout the county
For instance, there is no reason
why the Finley township should
be entitled to the taxes from tbo
railroad property within its bor-
ders while the Horse Heaven ~
the Horn Rapids town should ba
deprived of any benefits from tbe
railroad taxation. Just because
the railroad tracks happen TO he
laid thru the Finley town is No
reason why that town should be
entitled to the taxes when tba
Horn Rapids town or the Horse
Heaven town contribute Just as
much and possibly more toward
sustaining the railroads.
We shall not dispute that in
old-settled counties where popu.
lation is about evenly distributed
thruout the county, where land
values are about the same in one
neighborhood as another, where
road building is a matter of
maintenance rather than of con.
struction, township organization
may work successfully. But in
this county, where ip some Sec
tons there are long distances
few people and low land valua-
tions, we cannot understand how
township organization can be
fairly and equitably put into OBJ
GRAFTON.
The one thing in the past that
has been the matter with our
county affairs has been the in
ability to get three good and CAP
able men to accept positions on
the board of county commission
ers at a remuneration of $4,000
day. What we want somebody to
tell us is how we are going to
find Is good and capable men in
this county who are willing to
assume the responsibilities Of
township overseers at remun-
GRAFTON of $500. We want to
know, too, how taking the road
funds out of the hands of three
men and putting it into the
hands of rs is going to take road
funds out of politics. 1t is an In
variable rule that the smaller
the political unit the hotter the
politics. One of the objects Of
centralized government is to di-
vorce the administration of pub
lie affairs from the petty bick-
erings, the personal prejudices,
and the little jealousies which
are bound to creep into neigh
borhood activities.
We want to know too, how,
with Is separate and distinct or
CARNATIONS raising and expend-
ing their own money and build
ing roads after their own ideas,
we can reasonably expect but 9
patchwork, hit and miss system,
or rather lack of system of roads
in the county. We believe the
remedy for the present evils lies
not in township organization but
in electing capable county com
missioners and adopting a bud
get system that will preclude the
possibility of unfair discrimlns-
ton as between neighborhcods
in the same district.
We may be mistaken. ,ToM-
ship organization might WORK
successfully in this county. beI
what if it didn't? After it :
once voted it is compulsory anu
there is no way that we can rlu
sc %1,o ,,,,sconep co I0nX