Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-09-01

| NORTH YAKIMA, Aug. 2S.-The
editor of the Yakima Republic tried
to present an argument before the
State Bar association for the call
ing of a constitutional convention in
this state with results which a
stenographer present on the scene
says were approximately as follows
am not lawyer and do not speak
the legal language. l do not wish to
consider this subject from the stand
point of lawyer, nor to raise any
question of purely legal nature con-
nected with the revision of the state
charter. l am by occupation a pub
Usher and printer, and as such man
ufacturer. AS a manufacturer l find
that l must study the subjects of or
ganization and efficiency in my shop
and throughout my business, and
must operate on sound principles of
economy. l can't neglect these mat
ters and make profit. Neither can
any other manufacturer.
AS a student of my own business and
as citizen interested in all public
affairs l have observed that the pub
lie business is not conducted as
consider it essential to conduct my
business and as my neighbors find
that they mu4t conduct theirs il
they expect to be successful.
1t is, therefore, as business man
and taxpayer and citizen that I wish
to discuss this subject Of constitution
al revision, and l am going to as
sumo that the lawyers who constitute
this audience also have an interest
in it as business men and taxpayers
and citizens.
The only objections to our consti-
tuition which l shall make here will
be objections to those provisions in
which are laid down the methods and
system by which the business affairs
of our state and counties are con-
Quoted. AS a citizen they don't suit
me. AS a manufacturer l consider
them inefficient and the cause of
unnecessary waste. AS a taxpayer
I consider myself the victim of gross
carelessness on the part of public
which permits them to exist.
1t is no small matter. The state of
Washington is community Of 1885,
900 people. The various government
al activities going on within its bor-
ders constitute community effort.
They are costing this year something
over $37, 100000, and that means that
there will be subtracted from the in
come of every average family in the
state an average amount Of about
$3.50 to foot the public bills. That
isn't the only consideration. Those
bills are getting bigger by 10 to Is
per cent each year. They are grow
ing faster than the population-near-l
ly four times as fast. There seems
to be no prospect that they will get
smaller in the future, but there is
every reason to think they are going
to continue to grow. And that is
not all. Under this system the pub
lie Indebtedness in this state has
grown in a quarter of a century un.
til 1t is for each individual larger
than that Of any other state in the
Union but New York. l think It |
Is time that every citizen began to
consider what these facts mean, and |
why they exist, and whether they |
should continue to exist
1t is time for our people to ask |
themselves whether they can afford to |
carry such a burden Of taxation and |
debt, not only on account of the ef- |
forts they must make themselves.
but on account Of the effect its ex-
stence will surely have upon their |
industries and the development of
their resources.
I will take as my text these words /
from the speech Mr. Hughes made the
other day in accepting the Republican
for the presidency: ut J
IS a mistake to suppose because we
are democracy we should get along
with inexpertness and inefficiency.
For that very reason we should have
all the benefits of special skill and ,
And I will add to it !
-hese words from a recent address of
Hon. Elihu Root: "The test of the
fitness of a people for self-govrnment |
IS their ability to create their insti-
.utions."
AS a business man I am going to
say that the institution of govern
ment the people of Washington Great
I'd for themselves 27 years ago are
\ pitiful failure. I will say also that
The waste Of money which they per-
nit and cause is a shameful waste. |
Institutions which permit such waste |