The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-02-10
Thursday February 10, 1921
NORTH IDAHO NOT FOR A NEW
STATE.

II the gentlemen from Sandpoin
who conferred with the trustees o
the Spokane chamber Of commerce re
garding the formation of a new stat,
out of north Idaho and eastern Wash
ineton are correctly quoted. the,
stated that the people of the ter
northern counties are ripe for revolt
against south Idaho and eager TO join
Spokane and eastern Washington in
rnemorializing congress for the form
alton of a new state. We have no
means of knowing the sentiment in
other counties except through hear
say and it is certain that the asser-
lions of the Standpoint men is not
borne out from that source of infor-
nation. So far as Shoshone county
is concerned, the sentiment is not
favorable to the new state There are
many reasons why it is not favorable
but there are two outstanding ones
either one of which is sufficient
Idaho is stin a young state. only
thirty-one years old, but that has
been a very costly period for the tax
payers who are just now clamoring
as they never did before for reduc-
ton Of taxes. During that period
the state has expended vast sums in
the construction and equipment of
educational and other institutions
and has just completed the construc-
ton of a state capitol at a cost of
ABOUT three million dollars. The COM
pletion of the capitol means that the
heavy building outlay is at an end Is
il reasonable to suppose that after
this long and expensive experience.
the people of north Idaho will DELHI
erately favor a project that viii mean
repetition of this expense only on
much larger scale? Not unless they
have been hypnotized by the promot-
ers of the new state, and we hardly
think they have
The other reason is that north Ida
no would be in the same position so
far as political power is concerned
united with eastern Washington that
she is now in connection with south
Idaho, and it is therefore the part of
wisdom to bear the ills we have rath-
err than Fly to those we know not of.
or course the ten northern counties {
OF Idaho pay more than their share S
of state taxes; they do not have fair
representation in the distribution of G
state and congressional Offices. and a
they are continually harassed by the d
south by efforts often successful. to ii
deprive the university of proper fin N
hncial support to disrupt it under one II
preteXt or another. and finally to \,
cripple it by repeating the essential Il
provisions of the present educational
aw The people of the northern in
have these and many other a
grievances against the south. but m
would they be better off if tackled onto al
astern Washington with Spokane the on
apital2 II is the belief Of this paper eS
hat their condition would be infinite
y worse. Their voting power would De
&c much less comparatively. and the tel
onflict Of Industrial interests would WI
C the same; in fact, it would be more pr
ronounced, for eastern Washington fol
essentially an agricultural section
nd Spokane while indebted to the OF
lining industry for its commanding
1sition, is nevertheless decidedly ae-
cultural in its leanings The pre-
industries of north Idaho 30
.e mining and numbering. and these e.a
ould certainly fare better at the sio
lnds Of south Idaho than they would pan
their fate was controlled by spo- pen
me and eastern Washington. We the
not mean BY this that south Idaho drr
any more considerate Of the north ane
an would be eastern Washington be
ie difference is that eastern Wash an
gton has many more votes and "h
,uld therefore be more arbitrary. sal,
But why discuss the new state? 10 PEG
ii never be a reality. at least not tica
thin the time that will concern the to
eaent generation. In the first place tim.
requires a memorial to congress com