Holbrook argus., 1912-01-16
WILL GOVERNMENT GOODS BE SOLD AS STATEHOOD
 COMES?

Dreadful possibilities stare Arizona in the face with the approach of state hood. These have been faintly sugges ted by George U. Young, when he stated that the present appointive of ficials would have to sell the furnish -ings and equipment of the capitol building in Phoenix, because they were federal government property and the building would be left empty and with bare, cold appearing walls when the state officials of the new state should arrive to take up their quarters in the gutted chambers that would be left Yet this state of affairs is only mildly provoking when one considers what is in store for Arizona if the theory of the secretary to Governor Sloan that government property will not revert to the state and must be sold by the president incumbents in the appoin- tive officers before they are retired to innocuous desuetude. MT. Young has merely dropped a hint of what may be coming and it has remained for Bis beetle to tell the rest of the terrible story.
 The furnishings of the capitol build ing are not the only government pro- perty in the state 10 be of A rizona. There is the equipment and the fur nishings of the reform school and in- sane aslyum. If the appointive territor- ial officers sell the furnishings of the capitol, is it not e1so incumbent upon them to dispose of the other federal property, to leave the unfortunate lunatics who people the aslyum bed less and boardless, without plate to eat off and to leave the children in the building at Benson in bare and un- furnished building?
 And the end is not yet. Its narra- ton is but begun. The tale of horrible possibilities continues to grow. There is still other government property which the governors secretary may feel called upon to put up at public or private sale moved by his sense of duty to the central power at Washing ton. It has been suggested that the pen- itentiary at Florence there is other property, the stripes the convicts wear, their shoes and socks, yea even their underwear. Will this property be sold when the proclamation of statehood reaches the capital of Arizona?
 Will the inmates of the penal institu- tion have every strip of clothing taken from their backs and be left cold and shivering in their cells with never blanket to cover their nackedless? The same ownership prevails of the clothing worn by the inmates of the aslyum and the reform school Will the supposedly denevolent Uncle Sam take away from the inmates of these institutions their wearing apparel, even unto their union suits and put the garments upon the auction block even while schedule K is still in force and not whipped off the federal statute books by democratic house? Had Taft thought of this he would certainly never have written his wool bill veto at the special session of congress. He would have shown some mercy to these unfortunates at least.
 It would be sorry enough situation to be met had it occurred in the balmy summer months when days are warm and night are delightful but when one considers that even here in Arizona there are chill days in the inter and shivery nights prevail the scene that rises to ones mind is too cruel for quiet contemplation.
 Something must be done to check the zeal of the secretary of Arizona. Let him take the furnishings of the capitol building and send them to the second hand store or the junk shop but the union suits of convicts must be saved to them or else Taft must be pursuaded not to issue statehood proclamation before June when clima- tological conditions will be more suit able. It is possible that Delegate Cam e"on may rot be revengeful despite his defeat, the uufornate people had no votes at the recent repu blician dis aster, and the Arizona delegate might well introduce a resolution sparing to Arizona this government property so needed for the comfort and decency of the inmates of the public institutions of the new state to be. -Bisbee Review.