The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-05-16
OBSERVATIONS


| LlOn IL puDllSHeu III dnolHeF COL
umn from j Matt Anderson, in
answer to the suggestion of the
Times that Ada county should
have a new court honse While
there is merit in Mr.. Anderson's
argument, it is looking at the mat
ter from a very narrow angle, and
if the policy advocated in this ar.
ticle we're carried to its logical con-
1clusion we wonld surely live the
simple life" The same influence
was at work in the early days in
Meridian when the erection of the
old frame school house was pro-
posed, and the building of this
structure was considered an ex-
travagance. Over the protest of
such men, those who had faith in
the future of the community risk
ed their future and credit by
building afour-room school house.
Since that time, two more school
houses have been built, fine build
ings of enduring brick and stone,
but each time the same influence
has opposed the building, claim
ing that I'VE could not afford it,"
Now it may not be necessary to
build court house just now, but
if Boise, who wants a building,
pays over sixty per cent Of the cost
of it, and the county saves the ex-
pense Of offices it is renting on the
loutside, we fail to see where there
will be much Of burden in pay
ing our share of the interest on
bonds, at least not over few cents
per year to each taxpayer.
The writer speaks Of the mort
cages on the farms of the commu-
nifty, but does not mention that
these debts represent in many
cases the cost of improvements
THAT are adding to the comfort or
facility of the owner of the place
to live in better shape.in one place
meaning new house, in another
a better equipment of machinery,
in another bunch of cattle or
hogs. In such a case debt is not
an evidence of bad. luck, but of
enterprise and faith in the future.
Men in a community may be
put in two classes. Mr., Brown re-
alizes that he is not getting what
he should for his products; and
that the taxes are high (much
higher than they are in the east. }
But he also realizes that he has
but one life to live and that he has
as good a right to the luxuries that
go with a progressive, live com,
munity, as the generations that
will come after, SO he favors good
roads along his property, a good
, school for his children, and good
high school for his older boys and
girls. He wants to contribute his
} mite in paying for a decent court
, house, so that the strangers
will not think that the county is
too poverty-stricken to provide
equally as good quarters as in the
neighboring counties. In Other
words he demands some of the
: good things of life, takes a hope
full view of things, and believes
that times next year will be bet
ter. He has confidence in his fel
low men and does not think tha
all officials are dishonest. He goel
: in debt if he thinks he can make
: more than, eight per cent on th,
e money that he borrows, and con
1 siders it a good investment, as t1e
d best business men are among the
biggest borrowers.
Mr.. Smith also thinks that time
are bad, but thinks it will b
:, worse next year. He sees no hop
! for anyone or any institution o
earth, and more than that he ha
no confidence in the official az
ministration, from President WI
lie son down to the county surveyo