Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-02-25
BAD GOVERNMENT CONTRASTED
WITH EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT.

WITH EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT.
THE distressing condition of affairs IN
/ Chicago's finances still continues to
attract attention Of readers of the daily
press Recently one of the several thousand
of that city's school teachers-who have
gone with none or little pay for months
stated the limit Of patience had about been
reached and that many of the teachers are
considering the effectiveness of calling a
strike.
The condition Of Chicago's finances as
emphasized III this instance by the school
teachers is potent example of the possible
deplorable end of corrupt politics. The great
city Of Chicago is practically bankrupt; city
employees are unpaid; the taxpayers are re-
fusing to pay their taxes; it may be neces-
sary to close the schools and discharge the
police and firemen.
Recent news dispatches tell of the flag
rant squandering of millions in public
works, while the city until recently was
crime ridden and disgrace to the nation.
What is happening in that city is the nat
ural result of conditions that were allowed
to develop because the decent citizens of the
city were too busy or too Indifferent to take
control of affairs and demand clean and eff
Gent management Of their city.
With this object lesson in mind, it is
gratifying to consider conditions III Lincoln
county. OF course, there is a vast difference
between the affairs Of great modern city
and those of a sparsely settled county, but
even at that true parallel exists. There is
1Ichn tyr nnu al II
and bad government, both In large and
smaller communities.
Let's look briefly at local conditions.
The three incorporated cities of Lincoln
county are being honestly and efficiently
managed. Their burdens Of debt, allowed
to accumulate in former years for improve
ments, needed and otherwise are being paid
off rapidly with prospects for reduction of
city tax levies in the near future.
The same can be said of county affairs.
A few years ago Lincoln county voters de-
cided it was best to change matters that had
been allowed to develop here. They saw
their duty and they responded nobly. Since
that time, the management of county affairs
has been in the hands of careful and honest
officials. The gratifying result is that coun-
tv debts are being steadily reduced even III
the face Of property valuation in the coun-
ty that is growing less from year to year.
This, III turn, means that there is less prop
erty against which to collect taxes
and therefore the county has less
money with which to pay its bills. In spite
Of that lesscned income, the bonded indebt-
ednesss is being paid off and, It is said, will
be entirely wiped clean within one year af-
ter the present fiscal year. After that time,
the county will be on cash basis and it is
confidently believed there will then be a
substantial reduction in the tax levy
1t is sometimes profitable-as well as
pleasing-to pause long enough to consider
these matters Corrupt politics has reaped
its natural result of almost bankrupting ono
Of the worlds greatest cities, and the re-
sponsibility for that sad condition of af
fairs rests largely with a careless and dom
care citizenship. In contrast, local condi
tons are happily free from such corruptins
influences largely because Lincoln county
citizens arose when the occasion required
it and demanded that their government BIZ
run efficiently and honestly
BOTH SENTIMENTAL AND SELFISH