The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-04-12
AROUND THE COURT HOUSE

The county commissioners have
been in session this week. They
have a hard task to perform on &C
count of the shrinking assessed val
uation in the county and the fact
that there is so much delinquent tax
unpaid. 1t amounts to about $400,-
600 now, and the legislature enacted
! two new laws that may have the
effect of slowing down the payments,
and thus deprive the board of funds
to carry on the urgent needs such
as replacing bridges that break in
or wash out. Last year the road
and bridge fund was exhausted in
August, and this year it will likely
be used up earlier. If the people
could all pay their delinquent taxes
the county would be on a cash basis
at once. AS it is, the commissioners
| hesitate about making appropria-
lions for anything at all that is not
an absolute necessity or already con-
tracted for.
A year ago the board made an
appropriation for $1,000 to the Ida
no Reclamation Association to help
promote the American Falls reser-
voir, and paid half of it, with the
was to be paid when it appeared that
other counties in the district were
doing their share and there was a
prospect of it's being successfully
launched. At Tuesdays meeting the
request was made for the payment
of the second installment of $500,
and it was ordered paid.
Representatives of the Farm Blu
rau requested an appropriation of
$4,000 to match the state and gov
eminent money for the year 1923,
and the board said they would be
very willing to make the appropria-
tion if somebody would tell them
where to get the money, but under
present prospects they did not have
it nor any assurance that it will be
available. They said they would
take the new laws and try to deter
mine how they would apply and what
the effect would be, and when they
decided how much money will be
available they will give a definite
answer regarding the Farm Bureau.
In the meantime the county agent
does not know whether he will stay
and push his work this season or go
out looking for another job, and the
board will act as soon as they can
so the office can be closed or be
definite plans according to
which way the decision goes.
There was some talk of trying to
support the Farm Bureau with men,
bership fees, but it was stated that
If the fees are high, only a certain
class Of farmers will join and pay;
f it is placed at a low figure, there
will still be lot of them who will
lot join, and in either case the bur-
len falls on the willing ones. Some
body remarked that every farmer in
he county ought to have to join,
ind another visitor retorted that the
,nly way to do that was to pay the
expense out of the county treasury
md collect it from all alike in taxes.
1t was said that a good many of
he business houses in the towns
would take memberships if they
we're made eligible, but one of the
armers said it was hardly fair to
SIX that of them, as they have their
wn special burdens to carry, and
10 not ask the farmers to help foot
he bills.
While they were talking about
Dads and keeping them passable,
oscar Neumann remarked that he
nd his neighbor, Mark Shaver,
ave dragged and fioated the River
ide road for couple of miles for
wO years, and they are willing to
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