The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1916-05-30
Arrange For
Road Building
COMMISSIONERS CREATE HERD DISTRIC7
Railroad Tax Attorney Makes Offer In Railroad
Tax Matter

Inc DOafu OF county cOmmlS-
sioners held a special meeting
Saturday, called for the purpose
of considering the petition of JOS
Heritage and others for the form
ing of a herding district. Only
two members of the board were
present, Chairman Moran and
Commissioner SHELTON. After
listening to arguments faVoring
the creation of the district and
carefully considering the matter
the prayer of the petition was
granted and the district was
created.
The commissioners then took
up the question Of county roads.
They are determined to do as
much new road building as the
state of the county's finances will
permit and instructed Road Sup
ervisor Purvis to start work at
once. They also instructed the
road supervisor to see that the
road overseers repaired the roads
in their respective districts and
put them in as good condition as
possible at once.
Tax Attorney Williams Of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
Railway company appeared before
the board again in relation to the
unpaid taxes of that company and
endeavored to reach a settlement.
The taxes in dispute, which the
company refuse to pay, amount to
about six thousand dollars. The
company, last fall, offered TO pay
the balance of their taxes with
the exception of these special
taxes, which they claim are eX-
cessive, but the county treas urer,
acting on the advice of the prose
cutting attorney, refused to ac-
cept any taxes Enless all were
paid and the entire tax was re-
turned delinquent.
The O. w. R. & N. railroad OBJ
jected to a portion of their taxes
on the same ground but, in or
der to prevent their taxes being
returned delinquent, paid the en-
tie tax, that portion which they
objected to under protest, which
leaves them in position to bring
action against the county to re-
cover that portion if they see fit.
1t was suggested to the Milwau-
kee road last fall that they take
hrrf
ncials of the road appeared to
think that they could pay or re-
fuse to pay as they saw fit and
refused to follow the same course.
The penalty and interest which
has been charged against the rail-
road by reason of the taxes being
returned delinquent amounts to
about ten thousand dollars, or
nearly double the amount Of the
special taxes which the company
claims are excessive and refuse
to pay. From the beginning the
tax department of the company
has been anxious to reach a set
tlement with the county which
WOulO ItlltNt Jic bOlipuliJ II CAA
paying the penalty and interest
but the legal department of the
company would accept nothing
but complete surrender on the
part of the county.
This is the second time Tax At
torney Williams has been here
trying to affect a settlement bu
neither time has he offered an!
CONCESSIONS The best offer h'
has made was that the railroad
company would pay the balance
of its taxes if the county wOul'
throw off the six thousand dollar
special tax which is claimed to b
excessive, and all the interest an
penalty. On the other hand tn
only compromise which the cOun
ty is prepared TO make is if tn
railroad company will pay the en-
tire tax and seven per cent inter
est from the first of January tn
county will throw of the balanc
of the interest and penalty.