Show 9 0 t DUCHESNE COUNTY'S ILLS What is wrong with Duchesne county and what to do about it was vas the main concern of some thirty representative citizens of the county who vho met at the court house in Duchesne last Saturday at the request of Representative Dan Mitchell l Governor Henry H. H Blood and Congressman Abe Murdock are expected to make a visit to the county in the near future to discuss and st study some of the local problems and a sifting ou out of these problems and cures for presentation to the state and national officials was vas the object of the meeting Two vo conditions are definitely wrong in Duchesne county and these are closely related to each other First through drouth general depressed economic conditions and adverse local conditions the rank and file of Duchesne county's citizens are in such straits financially that Duchesne county carries by far the largest percentage of its population on the relief rolls of any county in the state The ba balance ance of its population population tion find incomes so reduced in most cases that business business bUSIness busi bUSI- ness is slack debt payments are delinquent or absent entirely and real assets are greatly depleted Second and a direct l result of the former Duchesne county government is is facing a critical condition thru lack of sufficient revenue A tax collection of around 45 per Iper cent for forr the past few v years years years has made it necessary necessary necessary sary to default on interest payments on bonded in- in to register warrants against current expenditures expenditures expenditures ex ex- and finally since since no more warrants can be registered to let many current expenditures ride as open accounts payable and to pay only part salaries salaries salaries salar salar- ies to county officials What measure of relief can be expected from our Governor and Representative to Congress is is problematical problematical but it is is sure that very little can be donen done by them to tp hen help p the situation on n immediately Two vo different channels of relief lay open to the National Government an and d Mr Murdock s 's assistance in promoting these would certainly be greatly appreciated appreciated ap ap- by every citizen of the Uintah Uinta h Basin for in the these se Uintah county is is as much concerned as Duchesne Duchesne Du Du- chesne county Most prom promising sing is a plan for complete wholesale rehabilitation of the entire e Basin Over a Y year a ago agoa go goa a rehabilitation plan for D Duchesne count county y was vas drawn draw n up by Wm H H. Case then county relief manager Mrs Af Afton ton W W. Crocker his assistant and still in in the relief office office- and E. E W W. Crocker now v reemployment man man- ager agel Duchesne county was at that time far ahead in the state tate in in presenting any operative plan for rehabilItatIon rehabilitation rehabilitation and the Federal go government was just making mak ing mg preparations for putting such pl pin plans ns into opera- opera tion ton Though a meeting similar to the one called this week was vas held in in Du Duchesne chesne to hear the plan at that time very little favor was vas extended it and nd it died I through lack of support Washington county on the other hand apparently showed shoaled great interest in a some somewhat similar plan and is is now beginning to reap the benefits from the numerous soil surveys etc conducted there Proper support at that time on the p plan tan which Mr 11 Crocker and his associates fostered and on which he spent days of time and effort both laer here a and in in the state capitol could undoubtedly have worked wonders for our county The mere fact that it was conceived in Duchesne and supported by the Due Duchesne Du Du- chesne e paper and citizens apparently led other parts of the county to fear that D Duchesne might be trying to benefit at their expense however and it soon was I dropped out of the picture il Today it appears that the county as a whole may maybe maybe be prepared to support such a plan and though the gO government T is at present unable to pur purchase h se sub- sub marginal lands because of lack of appropriations the various land water vater and economic surveys can be male made with the hops that funds for land purchases will vill be available when they are completed Another source of possible relief for the county is the much discussed and still unsettled question of Indian taxes Over 40 percent of the irrigable land landin in Duchesne county is Indian land on which no taxes are paid These Indian lands many of them operated operated operated oper oper- my whites on leases carry the first water vater rights and we ve rind find the unfair condition of families living on them enjoying public roads schools and government their crops doing fine with a good water vater supply and no taxes to pay while the families on white owned land have little or no water vater crops are burned up and delinquent taxes are reaching the point where they threaten confiscation of or the property If Duchesne county were to receive just a small p of the back taxes these Indian lands should have been 1 paying all defaulted debts could be paid county officials could receive their salaries and taxes throughout the county could be reduced to a point where collections could be made If Abe Murdock can assist in bringing about either or both or these two objectives a a rehabilitation project project project pro pro- for forr th the Basin and the payment of taxes by the Indian department then department then surely most of Duchesne county's ills will vill be cured and he will vill have endeared himself I to our citizens for years to come COlne It appears to this this' writer that as the above must bea beI be bea a long time in materializing ng immediate relief mu must st come COlne from within taxes tales are the big g problem and while many of these honestly cannot be paid there many who vho could make Inake a little sacrifice in this direction for the good of all The county commissioners commissioners commis commis- sion rs are re now v pursuing a general policy of tax reduction reduction re re- re- re duct on at le least st to the extent of forgiving penalties I and interest in In all cases where hele d delinquencies are the result of a leg legitimate cause With this incentive r it itI I seems that it t would pay any r property owner o who vho I cares to retain his property to make a supreme effort I Ito to clear the taxes axes on it How v long such a policy will J last cannot be klio known tin and it t is almost sure that it will viII b be followed v d by some e drastic means of forceful collection against those who vho do not take advantage of the present policy of leniency a IJ |