davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26

of fine timber and in endeavoring to
check its spread a score of heroic fire
fighters met a horrible death and
many others suffered unspeakable tor
ture from the flames.
In spite of this awful object lesson,
not a year goes by without forest fires
clearly attributable to carelessness
and indifference of people who know
better Last year. according to esti-
mates of forestry officials, the loss in
the Idaho Montana district from
fires started in this manner was up
wards of a million dollars, and it
would have been many millions had it
not been for the fire lookouts and pa
trolls maintained by the forestry SER
vice and also by timber companies and
the state of Idaho The timber of
Idaho is one of the states greatest
sources of wealth, and it's protection
Aioil htoti tttipn ny iIt SuOulQ dDptdl
to every intelligent citizen In con-
nection with forest fire prevention
week much literature has been dis
tributed by the forest service. the
state and private timber owners as
means of educating the people on this
vital subject. Commenting on these
efforts a forestry official said:
"All this activity is more than
mere propaganda in the interest
of some pet scheme or theory It
deals with a subject vital to
every one in this country 1t is a
campaign against ignorance in one
of its harmful forms. Prevent
Forest Fires-It Pays should be
the slogan for ALL and then not
merely forgotten but kept in mind
constnatly throughout the year."
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26
BLocs.
Mining Congress JonrnaD

(Mining Congress JournaD
The bloc system of legislative con-
troll which thrwarts the will of ma
jorities in congress and many of the
state legislatures is certain to lead to
the wrecking of policies and princi-
pies which are in the public interest,
if the system is allowed to operate
unrestrained. The bloc system does
not recognize the public interest
where that interest conflicts with the
program of the bloc
Legislative blocs are not formed to
promote the interests of the country
at large, but are organized to compel
recognition and consideration of spe-
cial interests, therefore they should
have no place in a representative
form of government Legislative ma
jorities should not be compelled to
bow to the will Of blocs, representing
minorities. as a condition precedent to
the passage Of legislation which is of
paramount importance to the well
fare of the state or nation.
With blocs defeating policies of
elected majorities at every turn, the
legislative machinery of the federal
and state governments can not be ex-
pected to function properly. The cleo
torate. therefore. should insist that
their representatives in state legisla-
lures and in congress refrain from
with special groups whose
interests are in conflict with the in
terests of the general public. Grave
involving financial loss,
loss of prestige and weakening of ma
Lional solidarity. may be anticipated /
# the bloc system is. permitted to |
hold sway in state and national legis- /
ative bodies The preventive remedy
les in disbanding the blocs
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26
COMM SSIONERS TAKE UP Paw
ING QUESTION.

The action of the county commits
sioners in taking up the question OF
paving the main highway through this
county merits the strongest common
dalton, and we believe it will be so
received by every taxpayer who gives
the matter careful consideration. The
records of the county show that the
cost of maintaining the highway in
its present condition is enough to pay
the interest on bonds to an amount
equal to the cost of paving and also
to provide an annual sinking fund that
will pay the bonds in ten years. After
doing that there will be enough left
in the road fund each year as now
collected to maintain all other county
roads In other words, taking the av-
erage for the past ten years the
county road fund amounts annually to
$4,000. Stated roughly, half of this
will pay the interest and provide a
sinking fund to pay off the paving
bonds in ten years. while the other
half will take care of all other county
roads. This means that this county
can pave the Yellowstone trail prac-
tically from the Montana line, or at
least from Mullan. to the Kootenai
line on the west without an
of taxes, and at the same
time have ample funds to maintain
all other roads of the county.
Under the present system we are
getting nowhere so far as a modern I
md durable highway is concerned. In
act we are going backward, for each
'ear the increased traffic adds to the
wear and tear on the road and to a
extent increases the
ost of keeping it in serviceable con-
ition; and after all the expense, the
overcoming outlay we have no road
s compared to the modern standard.
AS a business proposition. it is
to pave the road and the {
have wisely taken the
latter up now while there are fed
raj funds available to cover more 6.
ian half the expense.
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26
HELP PROTECT THE FORESTS
FROM FIRE.

1t seems almost a reflection upon
the intelligence of the people of this
section of Idaho to warn them of the
danger of fire in the forests and urge
them to take every precaution to pre-
vent it, for they have had an object
lesson. and sun have it, in the pres
ence of which words of warning are
weak and meaningless. Many are
here now who were not here at the
time of the great forest fire in 1910,
but these later Corners can still see
the appalling results of that great
conflagration. For miles along the st.
Joe divide just south of this city, and
especially on the St. Joe side a ghost
forest as far as the eye can reach
stands as mute evidence of the ire
mendous loss that resulted from some
campers carelessness. some smokers
or possibly some human
hends malicious act. That fire alone
destroyed hundreds of millions OF feet
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26
OPPONENTS OF THE LEAGUE
WERE RIGHT.

The opponents of the league of ma
tons in the controversy of three
years ago asserted that six of the
members of the league were controll-
ed by Great Britain. and that it was
folly for the United States to submit
itself 10 such an overwhelming Brit
ish majority against us. Friends of
the league declared that the British
dominions would cast Independent
votes. uninnuenced by the action of
the delegate from the mother coun-
try. Facts have since proved that the
critics of the league were right Lord
Robert Cecil now touring this coun-
try in advocacy of American en-
trance into the league. is its foremost
British spokesman. Despite his resi-
dence in Great Britain and his COM
handing position among British
statesmen. he has contrived 10 get
himself elected as the delegate from
South Africa Does anybody think
that his vote would ever differ from
that Of the delegate from the British
empire?
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26
DIRECT PRIMARY IN THE NEXT
CAMPAIGN.

Reports from southern Idaho indi-
cate that plans are being made by the
direct primary advocates to capture
control of the next republican state
convention and commit the party un-
qualdedly to the restoration of the
statewide primary by the next legis-
lature. To do this it win of course be
necessary to start the fight in the
county primaries i'm which delegates
TO the county convention are elected,
the county conventions electing dele
gates to the state convention with
this prospect ahead. it is evident that
the primary agitation last fan was
merely a preliminary brush and that
the real battle is being staged for
next year.
Having tried the direct primary. the
people of Idaho deliberately discarded
it and returned to the convention
system of nominating candidates for
congressional and state Offices They
found by experience that the primary
greatly increased the expense of cleo
lions prevented desirable citizens
from seeking office on account of the
excessive cost of making two cam
paigns. enabled centers of population
to monoponze candidates to the great
disadvantage of less populous sec
lions, disrupted party organization,
and made it possible for members of
one party to vote in the primary Of
the opposition party and thereby con-
troll it's nominations Another and
perhaps the most serious objection to /
the statewide direct primary, as
found by the people Of Idaho. was that +
il was impossible for voters to pass
intenigently upon the qualification Of
candidates and for that reason they +
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26

justice of their lot. Yet it is the com
paratively poor who are holding these
bonds, three months after maturity
They have already sacrificed $1,000
600. either because they do not know
the bonds have been called for re-
.demption. or because they are too
careless to cash them in at a bank
and put the money out at interest in
some other security.
1t is not the rich who are doing
that. They cashed their bonds when
called and have kept their money
working for them That is one rea-
son why they are rich and the others
are poor To a considerable extent
it is a matter of intelligence.
The situation illustrates vlvidIy the
error of those who rail
at wealth as an injustice and crime
in itself
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26
Too Much Money
Saturday Evening PosD

The sudden fortunes made in recent
years in the oil fields of numerous
southern and western states and the
strikes in mines at various periods il
lustrate though perhaps in an ex-
"Reminiscences exaggerated fashion, a
truth that is easily forgotten. Too
often when the lucky prospector finds
oil that flows at the rate of several
thousand barrels a minute or ore
that is pay dirt his own doom is seal
ed. For sudden riches are inclined to
turn the head spoil the disposition
and ruin the lives of those who thus
find that fortune is only misfortune in
another guise.
But society at large wastes no time
or sympathy upon those few of it's
members who suffer from too much
fortune. Those who suffer from too
little so far Outnumber their fellow
miserables at the other end of the
scale that the evils of sudden wealth
are viewed from quite a different an
gle. Besides, the man is rare indeed
who will not take a chance on having
too much money. 1t is a flame that
every moth is willing to try at least
once.
No the only aspect of the question
that forms a common viewpoint or
serves as a basis for social and polit-
ical policy is that no economic sys-
tenn can be quite right which permits
such excessive and sudden winnings.
Gradual IN,
CORY; but this violent success in hug
ging fortune to ones bosom smacls,
many feel, of undue favoritism A few
men seem to be unfairly favored in
that they have too much money.
But the lure of riches is the driving
force that spurs on the prospector to
his never ending search for oil and
minerals. II may be a sordid mean, /
low motive but it is the only one that |
serves this great purpose Thous-
ands upon thousands of humble folk |
who in earlier days would have been
doomed to a dreary existence now
tour the country in automobiles only
because the wildcatter never stops
his ceaseless search for fortune and
for OIL Oil companies
may pay large dividends, but on com
petent authority it is stated that near
" nine hundred million dollars was I
spent in drilling and validating in
1922
Speaking of a mine in British Col
lmbia that has been exciting com (
nent because of its large dividends. a
mining trade journal recently re-
marked: Nevertheless, it must be ,
that several companies s
ook fling at the when it h
vas a prospect and retired with Sc f
'erely burned fingers and hands be- e
ore the fortunate present owners dis 7
overed the rich ore shoots that sup S
lied the dividends" Such a mine. d
his high authority goes on to say. is e
standing challenge to prospectors, y
he option was long hawked around. ID
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26

wisely returned to the system unde
which that task is delegated to theil
representatives in the state nominal.
ing convention. The experience Of
Idaho in these respects is not different
from that Of other states, as evidenc-
ed by a widespread and growing SEN
timent in many other states in favor
of returning to the convention sys-
tenn. This sentiment is attributed by
the supporters of the direct primary
to the activity of the politicians, those
who want to restore machine methods
in nominating candidates. oblivious to
the fact that the machine has reached
its highest perfection under the direct
primary. In answer to this conten-
ton we quote below a paragraph from
a recent speech of John II. Clarke, of
Ohio, who recently resigned as justice
of the supreme court of the United
States. What this distinguished jurist
thinks of the direct primary as a
means of letting the people rule may
be gathered from the following extract
from his speech as published in the
journal of the American Bar associa-
ton:
Ladies and gentlemen. as 1 was
sitting in my study in my sisters
home in the last week of July, it
occurred to me that it was about
time for me to consider what kind
of a ballot / should vote on the
eighth of August at the state pri-
mary election. A little investiga-
ton informed me that any citizen
who desired to vote a democratic
ticket on that day would be oblig-
ed to select 46 names from 80 can
didates for p offices; and that If
he wished TO vote a republican
ticket, he must select 46 names
from ia names of candidates for
% offices. This statement shows
that I was confronted with an i'm
possible task. No man could do it
intelligently. And none of us pre-
tends to do it intelligently. We
have given up attempting to do it
at all and with as good grace as
we may we accept the leadership
each of the organization of the
party which he prefers. II is per-
fectly impossible for any man TO
make the investigation. which is
necessary to determine the intel
ligence. the qualifications the ex-
perience of 80 men or of ia men
and their fitness to fill % offices,
perfectly impossible
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26
SECRETARY HOOVER AND THE
SUGAR SPEcULAToRs.

The sugar spectators profess re-
sentiment at charges which are being
made against them and reply that
the very beginning of the present
rise in prices is marked by the first
statement of the department of COM
merce indicating a possible shortage"
To say that the department of COM
merce indicated any such thing is to
utter an absolute falsehood Here are
the words of Secretary Hoover in the
statement referred to covering world
production:
THE estimated production of
sugar this year is 1S.SOS,OOO tons.
This made a total sugar supply of
19.5lI.000 tons. The estimated
consumption is 19,OS5,OOO tons,
leaving a surplus sugar supply at
the end of this year of 100000
tons"
"Speculators who do not own any
sugar taking advantage of an enron
eous press report, began to job the
declares Secretary Hoover.
There was nothing unusual about
this procedure. No one has been so
much the victim of market iobbing as
las the American farmer. Let news
story be sent out that there has been
90 much rain, or not enough rain, or
hat there has been late frost or that
he chinch bug or fly are doing dam
.ge and Immediately the gamblers in
rain and other farm products begin
o job the market to their own profit
egardless Of the fact that there is
eauy no foundation in the economic
ituation for any fluctuation in
rices"
The sugar tariff does not appear in
he controversy nor has it anything
, do with the situation.
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26

land 1--WE believe that it is necessary
) in any district to have a pyramid of
: failures in order to find a mine"
In 1917 a group of capitalists found
a rich mine in a certain district but
Immediately thereafter a dozen other
groups spent perhaps twenty or thir-
ty million dollars within twenty miles
, of the big strike in vain search for
similar ore. The whole history of
mining and oil prospecting is similar
A great hurrah is made over the few
fortunate ones, and as little as posi-
bic is said about the failures. In
deed, those persons who are most en-
vious of the winners and say the
meanest things about them are often
the men who took precisely the same
chances and sought exactly the same
results, but to no avail
If there is a surer and fairer way of
finding oil and minerals than by al
lowing the winners to keep a goodly
part of their winnings, it certainly
should be tried out. If there is in
deed any better way to develop any
form of industry than by permitting
those who succeed in such develop
ment to keep a large share of the re-
sulting profits, it should by all means
be given a fair trial.
We are told that the present sys-
tenn is wasteful, and it is. Besides,
its rewards are unevenly distributed
But what alternative is there? In
reality none. There is no accom-
plishment without corresponding fail
ure. In the animal and vegetable
kingdoms one species survives and
many perish. There must be much
trial and error before any successful
conclusion is reached All success.
whether in business, education, liter
allure or science is built upon a pyra-
mid of failure.
Perhaps the lucky, the strong. the
fortunate and the successful make
too much money. At least the point
is debatable. But it is certainly a
happier system than to have no one
make enough. 1t is better surely
than uniform misery and starvation
The big prizes serve as a guaranty
that men will find oil and metals, that
II
though the losses of the farmer have
in truth been heavy there are few
sections of the country in which OBJ
scure men have not made big returns
and in not such ancient times at
-hat-in a variety of crops. Many
have lost, but numbers have won
Large profits are the guaranty, the
warrant of a continual striving and
struggle to produce what men can not
i've without. The winning prospector
armer industrialist. may be lucky
wen beyond the risk he has taken.
But to scott at his function until
ONE other driving force has been
discovered that will operate as pow
rfully in real life as it does on pa
er is merely to engage in empty YER
iage.
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26
SILVER PRODUCERS PROTEST
TREASURY RULING.

It is probably true that the secre-
taiy Of the treasury is authorized to
deduct the amount of silver used in
subsidiary coinage from the total
amount subject TO purchase under the
terms Of the Pttman act but to do
so is contrary to the spirit of the
law, and in Withholding announce
ment of his purpose to do so until the
last moment was most unfair to the
producers of silver 1t has been pub
lished and repubished from the time
the Pittman act was passed that the
amount of silver to be purchased by
the government at 81 per ounce under
the terms of the law was in round
figures 2OS.OOO.OOO ounces and on that
basis during the past year statements
have been published each week for the
information Of silver producers Civ
ing the number of ounces purchased
each week or month and the balance
remaining to be purchased That
these figures were being published
must have been known to the direct
or of the mint and the treasury de-
partment. on November 20, 1922, the
comptroller general rendered an opin-
ion to the secretary of the treasury
holding that 10000 600 ounces of silver
used in subsidiary coinage should be
regarded as sale or resale and there
fore deducted from the S2OS, OOO,O 900
ounces to be purchased under the
Pittman act. Having accepted that
ruling. why was not a formal an
nouncement made to that effect by /
the treasury department? BY re-
naming silent the silver producers .
have been misled to the extent of TO-
100000 ounces which the government
was expected to take and which rep
resents a loss to them of upwards of
sSOOOOO0 Granting that the law
permitted the deduction to be made
it was certainly not a square deal to
the silver miners 10 withhold the in
formation that they were to be cut off
from the benefits of the law two
months in advance Of the time gem
orally accepted for the completion of
the purchases. S
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26
MISTAKE OF THE POOR.
(Chicago Tribune)

NCmcagO IflDune)
Some 100000 900 worth of United
States victory AZ per cent bonds,
which were called for redemption on
December Is of last year, are still
outstanding What does that mean?
It may be an added indication that
this country is enjoying remarkable
general prosperity. Evidently the
holders of these ss0,OOO.OOO worth of
securities do not need cash. But even
more important is the indication of
ignorance or carelessness on the part
of these bond holders.
The poor of the country both the
workers and idlers, are constantly
complaining of the hardship and in
The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26
COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
Lewiston Trihnnel

Lewiston Tribune)
No reason, specific or general, which
would answer the demands of infor-
nation or of curiosity. has yet been
given for the action of the late ses-
sion of the Idaho legislature in trans
lferring the duties of state director of
education from selective hands like
those of DR.. E. A. Bryan to elective
hands like those of Miss Russum. It
is unfortunate that this is so. because
if inadequately informed the public
might be able to appreciate and ap-
prove the motives which actuated the
change whereas without such infor-
nation the vague and slender explain
atoms which come to hand are not re-
assuring as to the judgment upon
which the legislation was based. In
deed, the present system, so far as re-
suits are concerned and in the alb
lsence of the slightest criticism which
would indicate anything to the con-
trary has seemed too altogether ad-
mirable that the occasional legislative
attempts to procure its overthrow,
but always without giving any tangi-
bic reason for doing So have not been
taken seriously. That this is so is
seen in the fact that a bill to effect
this overthrow failed in the recent
session, as was the case in previous
sessions. and the end was accomplish
ed only by indirect and tortuous
means and by taking advantage of
the critical position of legislation in
the closing hours of the session
The Boise Statesman reports that
1T is the contention of those advo- /
eating the change that the commits
sioner of education has tried to bring |
under his immediate control the pub
lie school system of the state for the
purpose of a political organization. 1t
sacrificed the little red school house
for the higher institutions" Certainly
these charges would be ample if there
We're anything to justify them If
there has been any act of the COM
missioner, open or underground, hav-
ing a political significance, the state
ought to know it. Where is the lit
!
has been sacrificed by the commits
sioner, or sacrificed at all, under the
present system or any other system
since public education was first estab-
Iished? When innuendo like this is
the solitary reason found. so far as
known. for making the vital change
that has been brought about the nat
lral assumption is that nothing bet
ter or more plausible could be found.
Both fact and logic justify that as
SO far. however, as poll
lies is concerned, the selective COM
missioner is chosen by a nonpartisan
BOARD on nOnpartisan grounds for his =
ability and experience ex- ~
'lusively and is not responsible to
my political organization or official "
whatever But under the new plan o
he commissioner is chosen by the "
'arty organization. is elected on the .
'arty ticket of the winning side and
becomes a part of the same machin-
ny. 1t seems evident that political
ctivity or bias was not the reason VI
or making the change. The under
wing reason, we should say, was real -
Y a desire to make the office a poiti-
al one to be determined at, the polls, -
lstead of an appointive one removed y
rom influence of party leaders and ~ ~
ON campaign spells.