The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1910-02-05

The Great Northern railroad, through it's exhibit
rooms next to the union depot in St. Paul. is doing
its part in advertising the resources of the north
west. Prize winning exhibits are here shown, AM
a free information bureau conducted, in the en-,
deavor to interest tourists and homeseekers in tlp
northwest states. Sss8
The fellows in the east who are living high and
taking unto themselves the contract to probe for
the true cause of high living announce that the
real cause of present high living is that the peopk
are living high Now that this point has been set
tied, let's look for some other important matter
upon which we can turn the wonderful Wall street
searchlight.
Real and personal taxes for city and county are
payable next Monday. Last year there was d
total of about 1000 tax receipts issued by the
county treasurer, and this year the estimate is
5000. There are about $500 personal tax payers
Taxes this year are high. The people of this coun-
ty are certainly taxed plenty, and then some. The
state administration, republican for years. is get
ting more costly to the taxpayers each year, but
each increase in the levy seems to be met with
open arms and public approval, for the admins
tration is always returned to power by the voters
In the county, the officials who have saved money
in their offices have been defeated for reelection
showing that this course is not popular. In all
things it is evident that the public, by it's vote
cast at regular elections does not mind the gradual
increase of taxation, either direct or indirect.
What few democrats there are left in the country
are won't to complain occasionally of the increasing
tax on living. They have right to do this, for
they did not vote into power the organizations
which are making necessary the increased cost.
Members of other parties are getting exactly what
they voted for, hence they have no cause for COM
plant.
The president in his annual message says tn at
second class mail matter costs over nine cents
pound and causes an annual loss to the government
of $685. OOO 900. He does not give his authority for
the statement, but evidently it was not original
with him. It reads like a chapter taken from an
annual report of some freshly installed postmaster
general Some time toward the close Of the last
century. There is no recent authority for such
conclusion, for the remarkably thorough and able
report of the postal commission, presented to
gress in 1907, was complete eye-opener and has
led all persons interested in and conversant with
the subject to discard all such exaggerated esti-
mates. The president, not having familiarized
himself with the question, having never investi-
gated it himself, has made statement that can
not be substantiated.
The increasing outcry against the government
support of the express companies has evidently
caused the president to say something. The fact
that the postal department is losing millions
each year, while the express companies have re-
Gently paid dividends of over $780, 000 0OO is causing
the people to wake up, and the president to shield
his friends the moneyed interests lays it onto the
second class publications.
Those who want to know the facts should read
house document No. 6O8, 59th congress, in which
the joint committee of congress on business meth
ods of the postoffice department says:
THE postofice department is not now able and
has been able to furnish statistics to the
cost of the various classes Of the mail matter, class
by class, for the reason that it makes no provision
for the separation of the operating expenses be-
tween the classes 1t can not be done with any
mathematical certainty so must remain mere
matter of conjecture. It is impossible to escape