golprote.html

The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA., February 10, 1911, page 2

GOLDENDALE PROTESTS

Goldendale was so perturbed over county division that it got busy with a dinner bell, figuratively speaking, and rounded up the people to talk it over, resulting in the appointment of Messrs. Brooks, Ward and Collins to go to Olympia to frustrate the efforts of the county divisionists.
The Goldendale Sentinel acknowledges that a large number have signed for division, but says that county division is "uncalled for," notwithstanding over 1200 qualified voters are calling for it. It says further that the names are principally transient. That is a reckless statements in view of the fact that most of the people of the west end are here to stay and those who circulated the petition were careful to get only qualified voters so that protestants of Goldendale could not discount it any on that score. The Sentinel continues:
"The western part which is proposed to be sliced from the main part, consists of rich taxable property to such an extent as to injure the remainder of the county. The matter should be left where it is till we are more densely populated."
In other words, the richest, fastest developing part of the county must continue to have its values increased and its taxes collected for the development of the rest of the county, until it can get more roads, more court house improvements, or perhaps another increase of salaries on the strength of a still higher population of the west end, for this red shot soil is a wonderful population producer and will double up things in the next two years. The "rich west end" is juicy steak for Goldendale. "I was taxed $400 on 1000 acres of raw land that has not one cent of income" said one man. "My land, much of which was stone bluff, was actually raised to $200 per acre, in marked contrast to the $15 to $26 land on the other side," said another. Of course they do not want the west end to wander away! Would John D. Rockefeller give up his best oil districts? Would Tammany Hall cut off the trusts that feed it?
The Sentinel's statement that the west end's population of only 2,000 would find the increase in taxes too much of a burden, is wild as to numbers and pitiful as to the "burden" of taxation. The proposed new county would have a population of 4,000 people, perfectly willing, we believe, to carry its own umbrella, so to speak, to bear the temporarily slight increased tax for the benefits that would surely accrue from a county of their own.
There has suddenly developed a deep concern for the west end's taxes, the first time that the county seat has ever shed any tears over a prospective increase in taxes. Goldendale's lachrymal ducts never oozed a drop when it had the county vote Sam Hill $10,000 for his state highway there is no commiseration for those who annually pay large sums in the aggregate traveling to and fro over bad roads to the county seat, to say nothing of jurors, the long, expensive trips of the sheriff, county superintendent and others, and the increased salaries, justifiable though they may be. They want the west end taxes, but have shown no disposition to give the west end any of the officers, gathering up the stickers of one of its candidates two years ago, nearly knocking out Wertz for assessor, and putting up a political deal whereby a west end man was bluffed out of the senatorial race and an undesirable candidate foisted onto the people this year, which, happily, did not work.
Goldendale admits that division is bound to come, but they are not yet willing to let as go as it would not be good for our health just now. But if the west end waits till Goldendale becomes willing to pass up its guardianship, till the political ring comes over with a brass band to hand us the county seat it will be like waiting for strawberries to grow on Mt. Adams or Billy Bryan to become president of the United States.