The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-02-23
Stenographic Report
of the Tax Meeting
CONTINUED from Page y

pleasure of calling the counsel to-
gether and we had rather lengthy
meeting In regard to this very propo-
sition, which we are here tonight
for, and we wondered whereby it
was possible to keep a progressive
town as we hoped for Blackfoot
going and still keep the expense &C.
count down. We decided on cutting
the salaries Of every city employee,
IN some cases 10 per cent, some more
and none less than 10 per cent, that
is, salaries which we had the power
to make the price. personally,
have been quite seriously reproached
and never heard word said from
one of the taxpayers that 1t was a
move in the right direction. It is
up to each one to handle this great
proposition before us. Many think
anything we can get from the county
or city benefits us directly. We have
got to get down to brass tacks and
assist the other fellow by putting
our ownself in the right light. l
understand that the expense of the
schools alone is more than the cost
of running the county four years
ago. One body of people not re-
sponsible for this. You all have a
hand in this. and l hope you will
not find fault with those who are
doing the best they can; all you can
do is to make the expense account
lower.
Kennedy-Trego made an account
of the expenses of the county and
the city and the schools, of which
district eight is one, showing first
the expenses that have bene incurred
in various years for the purpose Of
maintaining the various public ex-
penses. /.r
Trego-Before I enter into a dis
clssion of the financial condition of
Bingham county as it is, at present
] want to go back and tell you how
Bingham county was born and point
out how conditions existed at that
time. About the seventh of jan
uary in the year 1885, G. w. Berry
man and Perry Ansen, two of the
leading citizens of Blackfoot, after
a little conference with some of the
men who entered into such matters
as this, went down to Boise where
the legislature was just organizing;
we were represented there by H. w.
Smith, who became famous in the
early history as the author of the
test oath. At the same time these
gentlemen went down to Boise,
Eagle Rock held similar confer
ence and as the result Of that con-
ference j. G. Anderson and w. e.
Wheeler, who for quarter of cen
fury edited their newspaper, also
went down to Boise and did little
planning, and it may interest you
to know that at that time was born
a rivalry between two, villages that
has never been buried.
The governor of Idaho at that
time was a resident Of some eastern
state, he had been duly appointed
and it was customary for a governor
coming to a northwest territory to
srend anywhere from four to seven
months on the way travelling and
visiting about, so that the governor
of Idaho was not answering to roll
call, altho he was drawing his sal
airy. A thoro-bred scoundrel named
Pride was the secretary to the gov
ernor and according to the customs
Of those times the secretary was
governor when he wasn't there, and
II any one wanted to get anything
f7r his constituents he learned he
had to consult Pride, and our dele
cation labored well down there, un-
~ the. morning OF the thirteenth ;
whatever the delegation ffom Eagle
Rock was doing I cannot tell you;
as to what our men were doing
.~st consider they were doing their
,Avel best for Blackfoot, and on the
morning OF the thirteenth when the
legislature assembled, . measure was
Introduced creating Bingham county,
-.retv-cne miles east and west, 176