Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1932-11-03

even born fighter, such as Evans is,
would scarcely have the temerity to
insist on trial were he not sure that
the charges brought against him were
absurd In the opinion Of large per-
centage OF the attorneys who have
studied the indictment 1t has been
pronounced one OF the weakest cases
ever brought into the courts OF King
County.
The facts Of the indictment, as pre-
sented by the city dailies, have been
read probably by every subscriber OF
this paper, Homer Carol, q Seattle
jeweler. in May 1880, received the
consent of the three members Of the
board Of county commissioners to sub
stitute a cheaper electric clock for
the County-City building than specl-
fled in contract dated July 2, 1929.
The facts, as set forth In the indict-
ment fail to note that the contract
OF Carol bears the notation that q
refund Of some 1904 was made by
Carol when the substitution Of the
cheaper clock was agreed to by the
entire board of commissioners. Since
taking office almost four years ago
Evans has, as county commissioner,
been party to spending millions OF
dollars, yet after nine week Of ex-
animation of the records covering
these expenditures only the one in-
stance can be cited, and that charge
SO full Of holes that it will not hold
water.
The writer admits an ancient pre-
JUDGE against Don Evans, but the
poor craftsmanship of his opponents
who have engineered an investigation
concerning his alleged Irregularities,
Just on the eve of election, rather than
two or three years ago, when they
had not become ancient history,
arouses us to an expression Of the con-
tempt we feel for such methods Of
political skulduggery.
There is no denying that the adj
dition to the County-Clty building
and Harborview Hospital we're ex-
travagances. The voters Of King
County voted the bonds for these
buildings, however, just In the same
spirit that we were all buying furni-
ture, cars, and whatnot by mortgaging
our future earning power. This in
vestigation Of the grand jury should
have been called at time to curb
the spendings Of the commissioners,
rather than on the eve of an election
to defeat one of them after the money
had been spent. Granted the COM
missioners spent money freely. That
money was voted freely by the voters
of King county for the specific pur-
pose Of spending and there has been
no proof to date Of irregularities in
| the spending of it.
We are on the eve of one Of the
most crucial elections King county has
ever witnessed. The national issues
pale into insignificance in compare
son to our county affairs. Too many
of the candidates seeking to GUST the
present board are pledged to plunge
the property owners into deeper obi
cations to make good their promises
to the class now being fed at the
public table. The present board has
an intelligent work program for the
unemployed, while their political OPP
ponents promise further dole.
The choice which we must make is
stupendous, and in making our
choice we locally will have to selfish
ly consider Vashon- Maury Island, for
if the commissioner from the South
District is the minority member OF
the board of county commissioners
our district, and particularly Vashon-
Maury Island is going to have mighty
little county money spent on Its roads
But the big insult is that a group
OF political opportunities. who have
oyershot the mark; who have been
instrumental in involving King county
in the expenditure Of approximately
$4,000 in a futile effort to uncover
alleged graft can so confidently ex-
pect to deceive King County voters. II
these same opportunists, while not In
office willingly precipitate an action
that has brought a heavy burden on
the taxpayers, that has resulted in
indictments so feeble that they are
ridiculous, how can they hope to con-
vince the voters that they will con-
duct the affairs Of the county with
any degree of economy?
-O