The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-08-30
UNPRODUCTIYE MUNICIPAL
BORROWINGS

William A. Law, of the First Ma
tional Bank of Philadelphia, has just
issued a pertinent statement regard
ing unproductive municipal borrow
ings, which, in the past few years, has
grown to be a real menace to the
prosperity of the country, and which
affects Idaho as we'll as every other
state. He says:
1.-THE time has come to call halt
to unproductive municipal borrow
ings. These have been Of enormous
volume, going far to increase the bur
den of state and municipal taxation
which in some sections is probably
two or threefold what it was before
the war began. Owing to the wide
spread demand for tax exempt secur-
tiles, it has been so easy for munich
palities to market their bonds that
new issues have been put out often in
reckless fashion. In this way huge
Indebtedness has been created for fu-
ture generations to pay off and in
gard for the present tax burdens of
the communities involved. While
this movement is perhaps less reck-
less than it was, it is still excessive,
averaging more than $100,000,000
month during the first half of 1922.
1t is easy to see that war demands
revealed unexpected sources of tax
alton on the part of whole commun-
tiles and that the authorities of
some municipalities having seen how
easy it was to market bonds have
been led to put out more such secur-
tiles than ought to have been issued
by the borrowing communities. With
taxation so enormously increased, |
however, it ought to be the aim of all
communities to scale down such de- |
mands, especially for unproductive |
municipal improvements. Unless this
is done forthwith by both states and
municipalities the country will be
threatened by enormously increased
taxation and an aggregate burden too
heavy for the people to bear"
- "a Pa
The Boy Scout organization is do
ing much for the boys in every COM
munity where it is properly organized
and the scout work properly carried
on. Under the leadership of Scout
Executive F. d. Hawley, the boys of
Latah and Whitman counties are get
ting a wonderful training, for which
many boy will emerge into man
hood better fitted to meet life's prob
lens. The boy, through the scout
work, gets a view of life and of his
possibilities to others, at an early
age, that he could not possibly gain
in any other way, while in his teens.
1t is a work that may well be en-
courage,d even at considerable
expense.
The recent return to horseshoe
pitching as pastime is considered
an indication that we are to some
extent getting back to the simple life,
which is regarded so highly since we
have gotten far away from it. Horse I
shoe pitching, however, does not
stand alone as an indication that we
are retracing our steps. The old
fashioned spelling bee is again becom-
ing popular in many sections, afford
ing good training for the youngsters,
as, we'll as entertainment for the :
"a - -
Z A newspaper in a neighboring state
advises the election of a candidate
'or office because he has seven Riddles :
1T home. We don't know but what D
ng a candidate than some of the
'easons that are sometimes advanced. II
We take it, If he gives those seven 81
riddles the right kind of a home and e,
he right kind of an education, that
le is a pretty good citizen. He ought, =
t least, be entitled to place on the =
chool board.
Statistics from the office of the =
ecretary of state over in Washing n.
IN, show that for every four marri- -
ges consummated in that state dur
* the past year, there has been one
ivorce, showing that three out of -
ur are able to pull in double -
lrness
"a - -
II there are no burning issues in Alb
aho politics there are enough in
her state to hold the balance even. Sa