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Show The Case Against Consolidation Although the campaign for consolidation of Duchesne and Uintah counties has been postponed post-poned for the time being, it is likely to recur in the future, with equal controversial consequences. conse-quences. In any event campaigns of such magnitude are impossible impos-sible to ignore. What would be the advantage advan-tage of consolidation? After weighing all the reasons put forth by exponents of annexation annexa-tion of Duchesne county by Uintah Uin-tah county, it must be admitted their case sounds convincing but not to the point of effecting joint union. Arguments for consolidation put forth up to date include economy, efficiency, increased valuation, additional political strength, elimination of intercommunity inter-community friction, creation of a central location for public records, and the' certainty of adequate courthouse facilities. Theoretically these points have a great deal of value, but their importance diminishes proportionately the further one investigates the actual need of consolidation in the present case and the peculiar relationship existing between Duchesne and Uintah counties. There are counties in Utah where consolidation would eliminate elim-inate considerable duplication, ineficiency, and resulting confusion. con-fusion. Davis county, for instance, in-stance, might well be absorbed into Salt Lake county, and Morr gan into Weber county. But Duchesne and Uintah counties, immense in themselves, if consolidated, con-solidated, would present a sparsely inhabited land mass stretching from Wasatch county coun-ty on the west to the Colorado border on the east. Counties can be too large as well as too small. As for economy and efficiency, efficien-cy, one enlarged county, if adequately ad-equately managed, would entail almost as many public employees employ-ees as are now hired by the two counties. One county for sure, but the land area and population pop-ulation will be the same, creating creat-ing a necessity for a bureaucracy bureauc-racy of assistants to make inspections in-spections and keep records. Valuation would follow the same pattern: more valuation for the. one county, but hardly more than now possessed by the two as separate political units. And one more state representative representa-tive thrgugh consolidation would not affect materially the balance bal-ance of power in the house of representatives, Also the present controversy is likely, and possibly already has, aroused enough "dormant animosities" to keep tempers in a perpetual blaze. If the consolidation, were pushed through, a stronger Vernal Ver-nal and a weakened Duchesne, angered at Roosevelt for robbing' rob-bing' her of a county seat, would band together inevitably to dominate the county, depriving Roosevelt and surrounding area of all say-so in county affairs. It's pleasant but unrealistic to picture Roosevelt and western Uintah county as setting the pace for a larger county. Eastern East-ern Uintah county sticks together to-gether to a man, and without the support of western Duchesne county, Roosevelt would be powerless pow-erless to prevent Vernal from being the tail that wags the dog. Consolidation would mean the death blow to Duchesne, County Coun-ty seat business and western county trade enable the city to survive, Deprived of the former, it is doubtful that Du chesne could continue to exist at its present prosperity level. Of course, many are screaming scream-ing that Duchesne as a county seat i3 an anachronism- True, the city hai been going down hill for years, but an oil or an agricultural boom would put the city on the map again. Give Duchesne a few years of grace. In the meantime, eastern Duchesne Du-chesne county residents might remember: Geographically Duchesne Du-chesne is in the. center of the county, and this fact should mean something even in these days of modern transportation. Under consolidation Roosevelt would be in the center of the county, but would not likely have the political strength to shake the county seat loose from Vernal. The majority of those in favor fa-vor of consolidation are sincere in their belief that the entire Utah Uintah Basin land mass should be one county. They cannot can-not even be condemned in Duchesne Du-chesne for holding to that be. lief, But neither can the conr solidationists blast -others as non-consolldationists. For reasons mentioned above, it is doubtful that consolidation, even with its apparent advantages, advan-tages, theoretically, would in any way alleviate Basin problems. prob-lems. Duchesne has no handicaps handi-caps not shared equally by Uintah Uin-tah county. County consolidation has worked miracles in the past and will in the future, when needed and under favorable natural circumstances; but neither neith-er the need or the favorable circumstances seem present now in Duchesne and Uintah counties. coun-ties. GWH |