The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-04-27
Entered ut the Postofice. Miller, 8. d.
AZ Second Class Mail Matter.
ss.OO PER YEAR
TAMBLYN Bros Publishers.
4WE ARE QUEEN CRIrTERs.

Argus-Leader-There Is no graft in
the state government Of South Dakota.
There is undoubtedly some waste
there always is in most big businesses
but that waste is being reduced by
good management to a minimum. IL
state taxes are too high, there is just
one way for them to be lowered, and
that is by restricting the activities Of
the state. We can spend less on good
roads and jolt more over rough ones.
We a give poorer care to the inmates
of the state penal and charitable insti-
~tutions and house and clothe them
poorer. We can get poorer teachers
in the state educational institutions
and save a little money on salaries
by taking it out Of the education OF
the young men and women of the
state. We can abandon various state
activities In the way of state aid for
education, public health, the proven
tion OF disease among livestock, and
save a little more. In local affairs we
can build fewer bridges, drag the
roads less or not at all, vote down
bonds proposed for new school con-
struction, have poorer paid and less
efficient fire and police departments.
give up our city parks, discharge our
municipal bands, remove our local
inspectors and save a lot of money at
the cost of safety to life and property
and the sacrifice of the comforts of
the modern city. In Sioux Falls, we
could sell u city water plant for
enough to pay off every dollar of the
bonded debt of the city and leave us
with a $400, 900 surplus on which the
city could run for a year or two with
out any municipal taxation at all. We
don't do these things because we had
rather pay taxes than to send out
towns and cities back to where they
we're 80 or 40 years ago. But IL we
like progress. IL we want the good
things of life, In our various
titles, w must pay for them without
complaint. When there Is waste, it
should be eliminated. When there is
graft, it should be ferreted out and
prosecuted. Every safeguard should
be thrown about the taxpayers dol
lar, to the end that 1t be neither was
ted, nor stolen; but when this is done,
the mar who pays taxes must be fair
enough to admit, that he cannot have
all the modern conveniences of town
and city life, which cost money, unless
he is willing TO pay his share of the
cost.
In an editorial this week, the Gar
retson News discusses this question at
some length and in a very interesting
way. The News says that Is years
ago. when he moved to Garretson, that
town had no sewer system, no electric
lights, few cement walks and cross
ings, the streets we're never dragged.
Now all this is changed. Garretson
has all of these conveniences. "Then
take our schools" Mr.. Sanders says
I'VE want the best there is for u
children. Now we furnish the books
used by the pupils, the district paying
for them. We want athletics and
manual training and domestic saienc>
for u boys and girls. We demand
the best instructors o~btainable, and
in order to get them, we must pay
better salaries than formerly" The
News points ont that the same thing
is true in the county and in the state.
I'VE want improvements-demand
the News says. "Then when
we get them and have to pay for
them. we proceed to make a vigorous
kick. We are queer critters"