The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-10-15
THE STANDARDS VIEW.

THE STANDARDS VIEW.
The Anaconda Standard has finish
ed it's task of taking the public pulse
on the matter of making an exhibit
at the st. Louis exposition and in last
Sundays issue. gives it's opinion of
the case. While it does not say so
outright, it is very evident from the
diagnosis it makes that it is of the
opinion that the state will survive if
it ''passes up the exposition and
saves the money it would take and az
plies it to some other use. always
understanding that this has reference
to any state appropriation.
The preponderance Of opinion as
cleaned by the Standard is that the
state should not attempt to 90 into
the show business with a smaller
amount than 100000, the money to
be originally raised by subscription
on pledges of reimbursement by legis-
lative appropriation. This sum the
Standard considers entirely too large
and if appropriated will be a more
generous contribution, in proportion
to the assessed valuation of the
states wealth than that made, per-
haps, by any other state in the union.
Montana can afford to be generous,
says the Standard, but it should also
be just in public appropriations made
largely in a complimentary way, for
SO it regards funds spent in expo
sitions. In the estimation of the
Standard the money which many
think should be voted for the expo
sition could be put to better use if
given to the states educational insti-
t%utions. If the amount suggested by
those favCring an exhibit were to be
voted by the next legislature the
Standard figures out that the state in
stitutions would have to submit to a
~shrinkage in their annual stipend,
unless resort be had to increased
valuations on taxable property over
NiAN SSSbN' SSot LIN p1SoSI1t loLC "
the states income is up to the top
notch; it is the highest notch permit
ted by the constitution of the state.
Reliance might be placed on a sur
plus, but as the Standard figures it
there is little likelihood of a surplus
in view of the large sums voted out of
current funds for completing and
furnishing the state capitol, on the
contrary it believes that a deficit is
more probable.
Looking a little into the future the
Standard says that We have no abso-
lutte certainty that times will be so
prosperous in 1903 or 1904 as to war
rant us in believing that the people of
the state will relish the idea of in
creased valuations for the purpose
OF raising money to make a display
in Missouri. 1t also calls attention to
the fact that instead of all candidates
for the legislature being nominated
on a platform having for one of it's
planks a pledge to vote for reimburs-
ing subscribers to the fund, some
would be instructed to vote against
an appropriation. Such a contin-
gency it regards not as so very remote
because the one item of reimburse
ment would increase by not less than
Is per cent the money likely to be
voted by the next legislature for all
purposes. in its annual appropriation
bill.
Summed up by the Standard money
invested in making exhibits, at ex-
positions is not the best investment
possible and it advises the people
to go slow, especially as there is rea-
son for believing that we will soon
be asked to help out Oregon in the
show it is arranging for to common
crate the visit of Lewis and Clarke
to that part of the country. To vote
100000 of the public funds for the
St. Louis fair it regards as an injus-
tice to the state and believes that one
half of that sum is lavish beyond
prudence.
WARNING ON POLYGOMY,