Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1914-12-25
BARKER SPEAKS
OF HIGH TAXES
Newly Elected Secretary Of State Says
Expensive Government Is Due to
Desire For Frills
MUST LIVE SLOWER IN FUTURE
Refers to County Division and Other
Matters Of Interest

George r. Barker of Standpoint,
recently elected secretary of state.
was in Boomers Ferry Monday. In
an interview with the Herald, Mr.
Barker said:
/ desire to express to the peo-
pie of Boomers Ferry and the Bon
ners Ferry country my deep appre-
ciat:on of the vote given me by
them in the primary and general
elections. 1t was good to feel that
this section of the county was re-
sponsive to the appeal for one from
their own county and section and
feel a sense of gratitude for their
expressions of confidence.
In assuming the Office of secre-
tary of state l feel deeply a sense
of its responsibilities. The Office
calls for membership upon most of
the important boards of the state.
One might say that in administra-
tive matters Idaho has a commits
sion form of government and the
elective officers are thus of the
greatest Importance to the state. 1t
will be good time to make haste
slowly the first few weeks and al
low such authorities as have the
legal right to inquire into affairs at
Boise to make their findings before
much is done in the way of start
ing out a new administration. The
people of the state have every
right to know the ms and outs of
all its public affairs and with the
calling of a grand jury in Ada
county to probe all matters relat-
ing to the Allen disclosures they
will know how far reaching that
scandal is. The result will be not
only that no guilty man shall es-
cape but that the breath of scandal
aimed at innocent men will have
been given its quietus.
"A great deal is being said about
taxation and Governor-elect Alex
ander has made promises of what
he will do in relief of the tax bur-
den. In all this talk there is much
said about cutting off the expenses
of government but little of increas-
ing the income of the state. The
natural tendency of the individual
as the years go by with him is to
make the effort to increase his in
come. In days of stress the bust
ness man not only tries to cut
down his expenses but makes the
redoubled effort to increase his
selling power He looks at both
ends of his problem. What Idaho
needs is concentrated effort to in
crease its sources of income as well
as to watch every avenue OF eX-
penditure Other states have hao
their domain as sources of income
in their days of infancy and when
we consider the vast acreage OF thi:
state held in government reserves
the income of which is infnitisima
as compared to the taxation which
private ownership pays, we have
one of the causes of insufficient in
come. If we are to have the con-
servation theory continued in prac
tice the national government owe:
it to the western states which have
to bear the brunt of its policy some
different method of paying back t.
the states some small part of thu
income which it would receive haC
they the right to their own damaln
Our fathers when they settled
the middle states came in the OK
cart and the prairie schooner. W.
came to ours by steam and the frs
things we grabbed for after arriva
were an automobile, baby CRANE
piano and a Victrola. We wer
not content with any less than W
had when we left our eastern
homes to find our homes in tn
boundless west. 1t is but nature
that with the expressions of sue
tendencies in our personal affair
state, municipality and school dis
trict should express those tender
cies. We are not content in on
towns to go a decade without cleo
trio lights. without sewers, withor
water supply, without the improve
ments of modern towns OF the SEQ