The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-03-12
Money For Idaho if State !,
Says It's All Right

her citizens is applied to the advance
ment of the productive capacity Of hel
SOIL The cost would be nominal
Money secured at 5 or IL per cent
could be distributed at per cent Of
IL and the l per cent excess inter
est would cover easily all overhead
charges. And when that money was
spent in development there would be
no question but the state would
get its interest and that at maturity
the loans would be liquidated. The
interest paying power of Idaho land
Is far in excess of the charges which
under the loans so established would
be against it.
1T is the new people, those coming
into the west with limited capital,
starting on raw or unimproved or par.
TALLY improved lands, but who are
earnest in their desire to develope for
themselves homes and for the state
the great wealth of agricultural pos.
sibilities that are yet dormant within
her borders. that especially require as
sistance. And why should not Idaho
back up with her credit, with her col.
lective strength, those who are willing
to add to that strength and multiply
it by the expenditure of their own
forts and time? Why should Idaho
not welcome the new settler with Il
promise-and carry into effect that
promise-of her best endeavor to give
to him or her every possible and rea-
sonable encouragement in his or her
struggle to win the earth into produc-
tive submission?
Scouts Cry Of Paternaiism
There may be those who will cry
STANDARDIZATION and all that.
but it is nothing unnatural, unreason-
able, Tor to be feared for the state to
thus aid in her own growth and de-
velopment. This is merely a sound
business proposition. The world ad.
vances and methods and organizations
and human relationships must Of
necessity change and be made to con.
form to the requirements of conditions
as those conditions arise. Therefore,
can see nothing in the states assist
ance of her own people and the new
people whom she is inviting and whom
we must have if we would develop
Idaho's splendid possibilities, that is
to be dreaded or avoided or that
threatens to disrupt human happiness.
Indeed, | am convinced that there Is
no other way to secure capital for
our development. OF this feel sure
after a thorough and exhaustive study
of the attitude of eastern capital to-
ward Idaho needs.
Idaho is great. After years spent
in all portions of the west in the ca
pacity Of engineer and developer | dc
not hesitate to express the belief that
Idaho is the greatest of them all. But
even at that she needs many things.
Notwithstanding natures lavishness,
Idaho needs many things that only
men and women can give her before
she can realize her full possibilities,
Idaho needs new people more than all
else and to secure them she must bacl
them up; must offer better and
cheaper transportation facilities
and this is serious problem; must
conserve her governmental expense
and hold it to the minimum in order
that the tax burden may rest as
lightly as is possible consistent with
good and efficient government; she
must meet the problems that face
her. squarely and una'raid ard &c
forward; and above all she must
awake to the great opportunity to re.
ceive, if she will, some of the hund-
reds Of millions of capital that is
anxious to pour itself into the west
and desires only sane, conservative
and satisfactory guarantee of its
own security.
'If those thines are done the next
dozen years will witness a marvellous
and almost magical development oi
Idaho-will mark her transformation
into a state that is transcendant in
her prosperity and in the enjoyment
of happiness and contentment among