, 1925-02-27

A lack OF leadership and Incompetent
cy was shown on every hand in con
siderlng the peoples interest. Per-
haps we are in error In saying there
WAS no leadership. but II was not
directed in the channels TO best serve
the State OF Wyoming.
Opportunity knocked upon the
door Of tile Speaker Of the House
and the President of the Senate, but
no one was home. There was a
splendid opportunity for either o.
these leaders to perform a real SER
vice to the people OF Wyoming, nut
in our humble opinion they failed
utterly to rise to the occasion. For
the past several years the financial
condition OF the people has been
growing seadily worse: lack OF con-
fdence and the general morale Of
the people is at a Low ebb. Tor
tunes have been swept away over
night by a devastating depression
which had for Its background a
shrinkage in values and a loss OF
confidence. We are not among
those who believe that we can iegis-
A9Nt 6OOQ tiAlt6 iilO tlAtClf O1I VIC
do believe that intellient and san
legislation along corrective lines and
in keeping with present conditions
would have had a beneficial reaction
from the people of the State. In the
final analysis. the State OF Wyom-
ing Is going to be what the
people make OF II. We may contin-
ue to produce cattle and sheep. oil
and sugar beats. but If we do not
produce a high type OF citizenship
and a manhood that has a profound
regard for the best interests Of this
state. our other products will not
receive their st-reward. 1t Is OF
prime importance to the present
generation that our state receives
Immense oil royalties, II all OF this
vast amount is TO be builded Into
a fund for postertty We may look
with pride. but possibly with an
EMPTY stomach and most a~ssuredly
a lean pocket book TO the fact that
u state Is one of the few creditor
states OF the Union: but is this of
particular value II the great bulk OF
this wealth is kept In a neig hborlng
state and u funds used by the
people OF this sister state? Let US
wake up folks and exploit our re-
sources for ourselves and not for
ever be exploited by others.
The gymnastics performed In in
consistency by this honorable body
are worthy OF note and tho state
should profit thereby. With much
Interest and concern we watched
- t~.t-tu.f.- --@ . A.
ment spend hours debating as to
whether the clerk of the supreme
court should have a salary increase
of $4,000 per year and saw them
finally reject his measure; immed-
lately we are appalled, to see this
same body OF men levy a tai of
some $500 100000 per year upon the
people of Wyoming through n saso-
line tax OF 2is cents per gallon: we
watched with some satisfaction the
rejection Of a bill providing for an
Increase in salary OF all the elective
officers of the state and then viewed
with CONSERVATION their %appropria-
tion for the state university. in ad-
dition to the royalty fund. the same
institution that spent approximately
$500, 10000 OF the taxpayers money |
on n gymnasium, the most modern
and costly in the west and large
nough to house most OF the indi-
vidual towns OF the State OF Wyo-
ming. We saw them increase sal
aries and appropriations here and
there and reject the measure per.
hitting 55 Ia per cen of the oil
royalty. received from school lands.
to go for the purpose OF maintain.
ing u schools for the next two
years, This would have meant a
saving Of thousands OF dollars 90
the tax payers OF the state and in
these times when most of US find It
difficult to pay taxes. Approx
mateiy so per cent of all taxes col
iected goes TO the support of our
schools and this much of our tax
might have been reduced In proper
tion to the SO Ia per cent hnd this
measure become a law. The people
OF the State of Wyoming voted a
constitutional amendment at the
last election permitting and author
ling this very thing. but. Speaker
Underwood appeared on the floor of
the house and In so many words
told us h a we were not competent
to Judge as to what was good for us
and that In his judgment this re.
duction of tax was not desirable.
He cid the balance Of power and
the bill was defeated. In passing It
might he well to remark that Mr..