The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-01-19

Helping the Huns

In the face of the earnest plea of the national gov
eminent that every individual and every commu-
nifty subserve all other activities to that OF winning
the war, this state proposes to spend hundreds OF
thousands of dollars and to waste energy that
should go into war work, by the erection OF a new
capitol building at Olympia
In addition to this it is proposed to face the bat
tered old Temple Of Justice, to make it more esthet-
ic and pleasing to the eye Heaven knows, It's
homely enough but this is no time to be patching up
old blunders of this sort
The improvements, on which more than half
million dollars will be spent are NOT necessary at
this time.
The business of governing this state will not be
disaTanged or halted if the improvements are post
poned until after the war is won There is conges-
ton and crowding, it is true. The state has grown
out at the elbows but it can get along very well as
it is until the war is over.
Private corporations and individuals have post
poned big plans for additional buildings because
they felt the need to econ0mize on account of the
war. Surely the state can't afford to be less pru
dent
Erection of new capitol building at this time
will help the kaiser In many ways, among them
being these
Hauling building materials will tie'up transpor
tation when Uncle Sam needs every available rail
road car to transport foods, fuel and materials
It will take skilled laborers- bricklayers, stone
masons steam filters, carpenters, painters-any
number of tradeS-at a time when Uncle Sam can't
get enough of them for his war work.
It will tie up capital that might be needed for
more vital purposes.
The state proposes to do this work at time when
costs are high, when building material is at pre-
MUM and hard to get, when structural steel and
other materials are being diverted to the national
governments war needs.
The state proposes deliberately to work hard
ship on Uncle Sam by taking away from him wea-
pons which he needs for fighting the Germans.
The federal government yesterday ordered all in
dustries closed because the car shortage so acute
coal can't be moved.
It isn't the spending Of so much money which
stands out as the most shameful feature of the
thing, now-its the waste Of energy and material
The money will be forthcoming of the pockets
of the taxpayers whether the building goes on or
not
The last legislature saw to that. The legislature
saddled onto the taxpayers law whereby half
mill levy was added last year to the tax burden,
and will be added year after year until we get a
legislature that sees fit to repeal the thing.
Governor Lister is chairman of the capitol build
ing commission. Lister sat supinely on the fence
when the capitol tax bill, just referred to, went
thru last year. He failed either to sign or to veto
it. But the governor has been preaching patriotism
and economy turnout the state, ever since.
The Times therefore asks every voter who reads
this editorial to Immediately write personal letter
to Governor Lister at Olympia, telling him you are
strongly opposed to the capital building program,
and insisting that he stop it.
Washington know bone-dry state and recently
learned Scott edits the Seattle PostInigencer;
know that the petition for prohibition the
Sourne, Francis Ae Henry VermoutE E. Elizabeth Boose
Charles Pickle Carl Guser and Stew? Sounds like the
senger list Of the Water WagOn-Chcago Tribune