Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-06-26

as master Wecnanlc TO nave entire |
charge of our machine shops working
five hundred men. We are fully ad-
vised that you know nothing about ma
chinery or the handling of men, but
you are good democrat and got lot
of votes for your party at the last cleo
ton. Your salary is fixed by one of
our company laws and will, therefore,
always be the same whether you put
in your time running around the
country at our expense or whether you
make an honest attempt to master the
details of the business and SO become a
useful man to us. In any event you
will be turned out in few years as we
shall want republicans to manage our
machine shops in due time. Railroad
companies, however, never indulge in
any such foolishness. They say to
young man, we have selected you for
employment because we believe you
can be useful to us. You will start in
subordinate position, but the road is
open to the top. If you show ability,
honesty and are not afraid of hard
work you will be retained by the COM
pany and advanced from time to time
as your service warrants it.
If the railroad company secured its
men in the manner l have suggested
you would all say that it could not ex-
pect the best service and would not de-
serve it and l say the same thing
Only the other day gentleman said TO
me, "We cannot stand these high ia, es
and we are going to turn out the whole
state house at the next election. T"
Notwithstanding the fact that the gang
has nothing to do with the raising of
any tax and nothing to do with the
spending Of any, but the most trifling
part. say to you that any man hold
ing that view cannot expect and does
not deserve the best public service.
When ayoung man enters any pub
lie appointive office he should know
that his position is secure il he proves
faithful to his trust. He should know
that the way is open for sure advance
il he deserves it. He should know
that if he devises ways and means for
saving large suns Of money in the con.
duct of his office that he will be given
due credit and that his compensation
will be fixed by the value Of his ser.
vices. Whenever you apply this meth
cd of selecting your public servant.
you will have the highest efficienc.
and not before.
While, as l have tried to show, W,
are not likely to effect any decided saw
ing in taxes by reducing expenses
though there is considerable opportu
nifty, there is another way Of reducin,
taxes that presents far more hopefu
field and that is by increasing revenues
! This state has standing timber to tn
i. value of $l2OOO,OOO that is doing no
body any good. 1t is costing nea
!. sum each year to protect tsfrom fir
:. and with the best fire protection W
= are liable any season to have immens
: fire losses. Ii this timber were sol
:, the money could be loaned to farmer
at seven per cent. and the annual ir
: terest coming in for the support {
: state institutions would be $84O, 600, b,
y twelve millions scattered among tn
: farmers would so increase taxabl
property as to make the annual return
to the state from interest and taxes n
j less than 81, COO, 600 and besides furnis
u employment and business for mar
r thousands OF men. You should d
20 mand that this be done just as soon
d market conditions warrant a fair sal
al The probabilities are, however, tn
x when the opportunity arrives, tn
d cheap demagogues, intent upon pol
'e ical advantage, will shout graft al
10 fraud and enough people will join
III the opposition to prevent sale.
In our state lands we have anoth
OF magnificent resource which should
pc earning the people vast sums. v
al have in round numbers two and h:
e. millions of acres which should be SO
1d as rapidly as possible. We now sell (
ne eighteen years time with one-ten
e; down. That seems fairly liberal tern
" but il is not nearly so LIBERAL as son
er states. Minnesota, for example, Sc
n on forty years time. II we were to
We change our laws as to sell on for
Nv years time, with only the interest pa
Ill able the first ten years, we cou
er speedily convert most of our lands in
ne interest bearing securities, and ke
Ia in mind that it really makes no diff
ur ence to the state how long the time
es interest might just as well come in
TO contracts as on loans. From Il
ou source we should create a fund of
We least twenty millions, which at six 7
cent, would yield annually $4,000
ny This added to the sl,0OO,OOO befC
CT mentioned would give us, in additi
me to the income we now have over
lall millions of dollars for the support
re- schools and state institutions and