Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-02-03
FUTURE OF BOISE ASSURED.
To Better Conditions Quarreling About
lnmateriaI Matters Must Stop.
(By Gustave Kroeger)

(By Gustave Kroeger)
In older settled communities the
boom and It's counterpart, the panic,
are comparatively unknown. Born OF
the gambling spirit in man. they have
their home generally in more recently
located settlements, where the adven-
turous are more prone to gather. The
one with its unreasonable optimism is
of no more benefit to a community than
the other with its senseless pessimism.
Each follows the other with mathe-
NAUTICAL certainty. The booster, the
prophet of the one, is as detrimental to
permanent welfare as the knocker, the
prophet of the other. The one is for
ever pick ing future roses from thistles;
the other is fully convinced that the
worm in the apple is its natural prod
uct. Neither the boom nor the panic
are producers. Both retard progress.
A land boom will make the farmer seek
his profit in the rise OF the values OF
the land instead of the cultivation of
the soil. A panic is apt to cause him
to fail to make the most easona BILE
deduction, that he who sows will-bar-
ring accidents-reap.
AS a gambler who, contrary to the
fundamental laws Of nature, makes his
money without physical effort, loses
his sense of proportion, the true idea
of the value of money. spends it for
gewgaws and becomes a prey to super
stitlon, so n boom town where money is
made and lost the same way. Is eXtrav-
aGant. spends its money for foolish
ness, loses sight of the real things that
count. becomes torn by factionalIsm,
and with the return swing of the pen
dulum finds itself n victim of discour-
agement and depression.
A wholesome optimism, without
which neither individual nor commun-
ty can prosper, is quite a different
thing from hoo n optimism--it is the
quality that causes self-reliance in
dustry and happiness. and is as essen
tial to n community as to an individual.
Future of Boise Assured
1t is undeniable and in my opinion
serves no good purpose to attempt to
deny it that our town was the victim
of boom conditions, and at present is
suffering from its reaction. Yet the
conditions that make for solid growth
and prosperity are far more abundant
today than at any time before. Agri-
AbAluiNt Witch lllblt Nlldu ally OlItT
phase OF human endeavor, is the basis
of human welfare in our community,
has evolved from a speculative and fit
full effort into paying industry. Large
areas of land have passed the first I'M
productive years, and are commencing
TO produce adequate results. The tim
Der industry is in far better shape
Mining Is far more hopeful than at any
time since l can remember.
a panic, when there is least cause for
It, must necessarily be largely a condl-
ton Of the mind; 1t is like a stampede
of cattle, fire .uently caused by the most
trifling circumstance. II Is never per-
manent. Signs are in the air that in
dictate that 1t has about run its course
1t is about time for us to realize that
We have been scared by bugaboos, and
that the calamity bowler is a fit sub
ject for medical examination
Under fair conditions, the future of
Boise and surrounding territory is as
sured. BY fair conditions, however,
mean that some things that the boom
has thrust upon us must be discarded,
And first of all we should realize that
we must never expect prosperity from
political conditions. Neither the Black
law nor the old charter ever produced
n cents worth OF prosperity and that is
entirely outside of their functions. A
form OF government merely provides
the conditions yet even the fact of
conditions being wrong is of compare
lively little Importance and rarely pro-
duCtive of evil results. OF far more
Importance are the men in charge of
the government, and it is unquestion-
ably true that their actions may be
very disastrous in their consequences
About all we can expect Of govern
ment is to administer their necessary
functions as efficiently and economical
ly as possible, and beyond that to let
us do what we like best, as long as we
do not interfere with the rights Of 9TH
ers. bearing in mind the truth of the
adage that "A community is best gov
erned when it is least governed
Practically all trouble arises when
officials fail to understand the limita-
tions to their legitimate functions s.v-
cry city is composed Of many different
classes of people with different ideas of
what is right or wrong To prefer the
one as against the other is a wrong ex-
erclse of governmental function. There
are certain fundamental things that
officials must not disturb. Our homes
must be sacred Private morals must