The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-02-17
(Contributed)

n
t1f .(Contributed)
The legislature is warned that TT
span OF life Is nearly run, and the
things for which 1t was elected are
totally unacconplished. a.
The people, sick unto death of the
waste, the inefficienoy, the official
bunk of the national administration
swore to have both revenge and ef-
ficiency for change; they annihil-
ated the Democratic party in order to
get this change-and the Republi-
can legislature is the result. 1t isn't
as some may fondly dream, SPLEEN
did tribute. to the personality of the
present legislators; it's the peoples
faith in the Republican party with
out regard to individual standing.
The Republican party is RESPONSE
ble..: 1t has pledged to change the
conditions that have existed both
in the nation and in the state. Ma
tionally, it looks as if they would
make good with epochal brilliancy
and fidelity. For Idaho, there is no
such warrant up to the present time
the promise is almost exactly the
opposite. Relief from burdensome
taxation is the UNIVERSAL cry. The
Republican party has pledged this
relief; every candidate, personally or
theoretically has guaranteed this
program. 1t is up to personal honor
first, and ultimately to the. Republi-
can party, as the final guarantor Of
honest good faith.
The only way to reduce taxes, is to
spend less money. 1t is time to quit
quarreling over petty things and
make this one resolves: We will re-
duce our state expenditures! Until
that resolve is made the Legislature is
only sowing the seed of humiliating
contemplate, deserved defeat at the
next election.
The Republican isn't the one to
say just where the cut should be
made that is the duty,the privilege
the people have given to the legisla-
tors themselves. They are good men,
capable men; all they need is to get
steady on the right track.
A few suggestions, however, might
tell what many of the people are
thinking. 1t would seem well to cut
off the state department of agricul-
ture; it is needless duplication of
the work being better done thru the
state university. Also, the state has
university president, who should
be capable of directing the larger
educational and agricultural college
policies, and a safe school superin-
tendent, who ought to be able to do
all the routine work of the smaller
schools 1t is rather worse than a
needless duplication to have an
anomalous commissioner of educa-
ton at perhaps the highest salary in
Idaho, to usurp the functions of these
two officers and build up a political
machine with an Unsuitable hunger
for both money and power. The
state has an immigration depart
ment, but appropriates no funds to
support it except to pay enc high
salary. The state could get no i'm
migrants under present national con-
ditions, if it did spend large sums for
such work, it wouldn't keep them if
it did get them-except in the quiet |
grave after they had given up the
over-tax in despair.
The public utilities commission,
one of the highest priced extrava
gances of Idaho, is proving of such
questionable value that it, too, might
be eliminated, and let the courts be
empowered to handle, at 1.-THE of
the present expense, the matters that
are really worth while. If Federal
Judge Lands in Chicago can ad-
Indicate baseball, surely an Idaho
court can adjust plain business af-
fairs
The higways have absolutely failed
to come up to what was promised in
their name, the federal funds have
not come in, not even 10 per cent Of
what was estimated as due to
Idaho on the program the state has
Idaho herself pays ex-
actly her proportion of all this fed
eral money, however, much or little
1t may be. We are taking money out
Of one pocket, juggling it in our
hands in the dusty road and losing
part of it in transferring it to the
other pocket This road program
nigst better wait on clothing and
'ood and fuel to make the state COM
Maybe the legislators
wont see any of the matters exactly
his way-but one facts is indisput-
lble, that the lump sum of expendi-
ures is intolerable under present
financial conditions, and they must
make the cut. The people are in
1eadly earnest; they gave to the
present legislature their uttermost
good faith-but the strongest love
'purned or defiled turns to the fierc-
Est hate. Idaho two years from now
S depending on the present legisla-
ure. 80,
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