The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1922-09-15

Just three years ago an electio,
was held for the purpose of votin.
upon bonding the county for $500 .OOt
for the purpose, among other roa,
Improvements, of finishing a concret,
road between Wenatchee and Leaven
worth. Upon the assurance of The
county board that the paved roac
would be built through to Leaven.
worth the voters of the Western par
Of the county were induced to sanction
the bond issue, for it was seen that
such road would be of great value
to all the people of this upper country
During those three years we have
watched and waited for some indica.
ton that the county board would live
up to the purpose mapped out in that
campaign. In recent months it be.
came known that the bond money haC
all been appropriated for other pur.
poses and that after completing the
paved road from Wenatchee to Cash
mere there would be no money left
leaving Leavenworth and the people
of the whole upper country with vir-
tually nothing to show for the bonds
they will have to help pay.
The failure Of the county board t.
so manage expenditures as to enable
them to live up to the plans mappeJ
out in the bond campaign is the mair
reason for the demand at this time
for county division, but there are
other reasons: This same board has
determined, without consulting theil
constituents, other than those of Wen
atchee, to erect court house and city
hall for Wenatchee, which well-posteC
persons say will not cost less thar
100000 when completed and furn
ished. This is a fragrant disregarC
of the interest and wishes of perhap.
90 per cent of the people outside
Wenatchee. Another reason is thai
after division the public funds paic
in by this section would be WHOLLY
under the control of the people wht
pay, and would be spent here in i'm
proving our own roads. CONSTRUCTING
bridges and developing our own com
munity, whereas our experience of tht
past clearly shows that we have haC
absolutely nothing to say in these
matters, never having been able tC
elect a member of the board of coun
ty commissioners from the upper
country, or other county official Of
Importance.
The border lines OF the territory
which it is proposed to set off anc
form into a new county would probab
ly be as follows; Beginning at ;
point on the southern border of th,
present county where the line betweel
ranges Is and 19 cross, thence nortl
on this line to the Entiat divide
thence following the Entiat divide il
a northwesterly direction to the west
erly border of the county northwes
of Red Mountain, thence following th'
westerly county line southerly to tn
point of beginning.
The state constitution provides 70
the division Of counties as follows
The old county must still have afte
division a population of 1000 and tn
new county must have population
of least 1000 and a petition signe'
by a majority of the voters of tn
proposed new county must be pre-
sented to the state legislature TO
their action. As Chelan county ha
q population exceeding 10000 and q
it is estimated that fully 90 per cen
of the voters of the upper country ar
enthusiastically in favor of division
getting the matter before the legisla
ture will be easy.
In order, however, to make win
ming fght-and no other result vii
be considered final-we must hav
facts and figures to justify our pet
ton. The facts are notorious. Tn
figures can be had by carefully goin
over the county records. Thes
figures will support Us at every ste
if intelligently compiled, for thi
upper district with nearly one-thir
of the population and valuation Of tn
county, paying nearly a third Of III
county taxes, is alleged to have neye
had even the full benefit Of its dis
trict road fund.
Therefore county division seems
offer the only manner in which "
may hope to gain freedom Of actio
and build up the western part Of tn
county, securing 10 ourselves and ou