Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-04-13

of the legislature.
The school act provides that the
state revenues for schools shall be
equivalent to $40 for each pupil in
the state according to the school
census for the year the levy is made.
1he law authorizes the state
board of equalization to estimate the
revenues to the school fund from
other sources and requires it TO de-
clare levy sufficient to raise the
balance, provided that it shall not
exceed 5 mills,
Every year since the passage of the
act until 1906 it was found neces-
sary. in order to comply with the law
to place the school levy at the max
imum of mills.
In 1906 the state board of equal
ization reduced the school levy to
3 "a mills and failed to raise the
required $40 per capita by more than
$4,000, computing from Feb. 1,
1907, to Feb. 1, 1908.
In 1907 the board further decreas-
ed the school levy to mills, and if
revenues from other sources do not
take an unheard-of jump the total
school revenues will fall short ap-
proximately 100000.
Under date of February 9th, a Sec
ond dispatch from Olympia appeared
in the same newspapers which assert
ed that "The exact increase in in
debtedness, bonds and general fund
warrants, on February 1, 1907, was
$251, 1,925.O2. In addition the mill
tary fund is overdrawn $1,1OO, the
highway fund $4,000, and the expo
sition fund few hundred"
Among all the wonderful word pic
lures embraced in Holy Writ none is
more vivid and powerful than "The
Heart of Belshazzar." The king was
banqueting in Oriental luxury, sur
rounded by his fawning princess and
vassals, when suddenly mans hand
appeared and wrote certain mystic
rious words on the wall of the palace.
At once the wild revelry was hushed
and Belshazzar became greatly
troubled in spirit and called upon
his astrologers and soothsayers to in
terpret the meaning of the inscrip-
ton. They failed, but it was trans
lated by Daniel, a Jewish captive, as
meaning that Belshazzar had been
weighed in the balances and found
wanting and that his power should
be taken from him. A parallel Incl
dent has recently occurred in this
state. Drunk with power, and sur
rounded by his flattering appointees,
Gov. Mead has suddenly been con-
fronted by the handwriting on the
| wall and has become greatly troubled
in spirit. 1t does not require an as
trOlOger nor a wise man to translate
the inscription which haunts him.
The words are in plain English and
have been stamped on the back of
general fund warrants and read,
mot paid for want of funds" but
the Interpretation is: "Thou hast
been weighed in the balances and
found wanting and thy power shall
be taken from thee"
The people are praying for another
John r. Rogers in the governors
n IN
democratic party to furnish such a
man. They do not care whether he
be a lawyer, a business man or a
farmer, or from what part of the
state he may happen to hail. All
that they require is that he be a
man on whose integrity, judgment
and courage they can absolutely re-
ly. The eXigencies Of the situation
demand a man of unusual bravery
and firmness. He will have a thorny
path to tread. In order to re-estab-
lish the finances of the state upon a
sound basis he will have to reform
many abuses, will have to abolish
many useless offices, will have to
prune down or veto many appropria-
tions, will have to refuse many petit
tions and disappoint many individ-
uals and communities. He will have
to institute a policy Of such rigid
economy that it is bound to be un-
popular. His motives are likely to
l. s,,,~ =
represented. The people realize that
conditions require man cast in he
roic mould at the head of the state
administration for the next four
years. If the democratic party pre-
sents such candidate, he will be our
next governor.
VIM. GOODYEAR,
In the Washington Democrat.