White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-05-14
HAD BIBLICAL PRECEDENT

A reader of the Yakima Republic
who signs himself Sam Kiefer" OBJ.
jects to that papers stand on Earl
Barnes ability to land his aged
father on the state payroll at $3.50
per month, and writes the paper
quoting biblical authority to show
that Earl had precedepts galore in
taking care of his relatives. The Re.
public printed the letter in full and
it reads:
"In your issue Of May 4, you COM
ment on the fact that the 'Barneses
father and son, are drawing from the
state treasury, something like $3.50.
per month"; and the further fact
that while here in Yakima they were
not allowed board and lodging This
the writer considers an unjust criti-
cism. Had the people elected the
Earl of Yakima to the office of
mayor, as he advised, even urged
them, to do time or two, the Earl
would have had lots Of board and
plenty Of lodging.
In your editorial you credit the
business-like administration of Gov.
Hartley for the transformation Of a
total loss to lively asset, whereas
the governor and the Earl are only
following a long established prece.
dent. When Pharaoh the King in
Genesis took the humble Joseph out
of Jail, and made him the first di-
rector of agriculture, one OF the
first things Joseph did was to send
back up to Beersheba for his father
Yea, even all of his kinfolk, and by
the exercise of his genius and his in.
Auence with the king (Gen. 47:1D
Joseph placed his father and his
brethren, and gave them a possess
sion in the land of Egypt, in the
best of the land, in the land of Ra.
mesis, there to live and run thdr
sheep in the forest reserve. This
was in the days before the sheep
industry had been transferred from
lg-ts Jewish tribe Of Jacob TO the
Scottish clan of Mac.
Sand in Gen. 47:12, Joseph nour-
ished his father, and his brethren,
and all his fathers household, with
bread, according to their families
and this mind you, Mr.. Editor, at
time when as reported in Gen.47:13
there was no bread in all the land
for the famine was 1sry sore, sol
that the land of Egypt, and all the
land of Canaan tainted by reason of
the famine. So you see, Mr.. Editor
that Gov. Hartley is not the first
prince or potentate to exalt the
humble. The Earl of Yakima is not
the first director of agriculture to
'nourish his father. The people of
the state of Washington are not the
first to Saint by reason of the ia.
rnine," for in Gen.47:20 "the Egyp.
tians sold every man his field, be.
cause the famine prevailed ovet
them"
We can only hope that the gov.
ernor will continue in the future as
he has in the past to appoint men
Of small families and few friends
for we doubt if even the great state
of Washington could stand the drair
Of supporting a member of the gov.
ernor's cabinet with an immediate
family as large as that OF Joseph,
Tor they numbered 70. And in Gen.
47:27 they ,dwelt in the land of
Egypt, in the country Of Goshen;
and th(a had possessions Wherein;
and grew and multiplied exceeding
ly," while the Egyptians sold their
land, and themselves for bread"
"And then, sir, came an election.
and under the new administration
the descendants of Director of Agri-
culture Joseph and his many broth.
rem, labored during 400 years of slav.
cry presumably to pay back into the
Egyptian treasury some portion OF
the rourishment with which Joseph
'nour;sl.ed his father"
SAM KIEFER