The Carlisle independent., 1914-07-16

such notices as are covered by the Publicity Act as it is being initiated, the newspapers are held to a price fifty per cent lower than the regular statutory rate for legal notices. In other words, the newspapers are will l ing to concede a reduction of fifty per cent (which is exactly one-half, mind youD, in the price of such notices as come within the provisions of the Pub licity Act in order to secure it's adop- tion. This is a concession which few other established institutions of a purely business nature would care to make.
 Only Half Legal Rate Is Provided.
 The motives actuating the newspa- pers in eonceding this reduction may be purely patriotic, or they may be due to realization of the fact that to make the full statutory charge for the various publications provided for in the Publicity Act would endanger it's adoption at the polls; but what ever be their motives, the fact re- mains that all such notices as may be published under the act will take the half rate instead of the full rate. The fees allowed public officials for pre- pairing these notices, or reports, are also fixed in the act, and they are not in such amounts that their payment will. entail a hardship upon the tax payers.
 The nominal expense to which the public would be subjected under this measure would be offset by the saving due directly to wholesome publicity. Among public officials there would be retrenching here, looping off there and an economy wonder, all for the purpose of making a good showing at the time of publishing their reports :: and the saving in these respects alone would more than compensate for pub l fishing the reports in the newspapers. The elimination of graft providing i that it now exists, would be the means of another saving, and carelessness in the use of public funds would become a thing of the past, or so rare as to become a neglible quantity in the if nal footing up. Here, again, there feature of the whole matter would be that the people themselves-whop pay l the bills and furnish the sinews of war-would know to the last penny where their money goes after it leaves 1 their pockets and drops into the pub lie till
 l In thus keeping an accurate tab on the financial end of the situation, the most important function of the Pub lieity Act would be discharged but ] there are other matters which would i also be affected by it's application l There are many abuses in public of i flee which do not involve the hand i ling or the misuse of money. There | are official acts, wholly apart from money, which would suffer no harm from reasonable amount of whole some publicity. Section Ca. VI of the proposed act furnishes good ex- ample of this.
 Boiling the matter down to brass tacks. the proposed measure demands that the public generally shall be kept i informed on the condition of public affairs, the conduct of public officials and the state of the public finances. It puts the public business on the ba- sis of a bank; the officials are en- trusted with the management of the bank, but they must make full reports l to ha thot may know at all times just what the bank is doing. In the case here dis cussed the public treasury may be designated as the bank, and the peo- pie constitute the stockholders there of Their officials should be required 1 to make reports to the stockholders so that confidence will be maintained | It is just plain business proposition, and as such it ought to appeal to ev- cry man who is able to think for him. self.
 1 However, certain gentlemen (now in have expressed the opinion that Act No. (the Publicity AcO, is objec- tionable because it contains some very bad features" Let us see, even at the risk of the readers impatience, what the act itself, has to say. Let us analyze it and see for ourselves if there are any bad features" in it when viewed from the standpoint of the people.
 There is nothing wrong in acquaint- ing the people twenty days in advance with the nature of measure upon which they are expected to pass judg- ment at the polls. So Section 1 must be free from bad features"
 | It is right and proper that the peo- pie should know something about the laws made for their benefit and which they are required to observe. It is an old legal axiom that ignorance of the law excuses no one; but the ax- iom, in these days when law has pro- gressed beyond the confines of com. mon sense, is no longer applicable to the case. Then let us be fair with the people and acquaint them with all