The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-10-29

not 20 10 car AGED citizens Al al
but 20 an entirely new cross So
ton consisting 81 AZ least 45.ooo
other persons regardless 81 ace.
he said.
Is n wi~e q ssddle the
present ed are pension ss~-
tenn with this brand new ~
lief proErs = program
wholly foreign IN old age pen-
siens; . program Involving IN
trieate problems which should
he carefully worked out Nv
experts rather than thrown
together ~ irresponsible NAL
contents.
Our senior citizens should
awaken 10 this mortal danger
which their present program faces.
they should beware lest they EN-
brace within their own statutes,
a SEED OF destruction. a tail which
viii some day wag the dog.
Again and again the sponsors
Of Isl have uttered the .untruth
that its passage IL necessary 10
preserve the benefits Of i41. one
hundred-forty-one will remain on
the statute books and the only
danger Of IL being taken off Is
BY the passage of ISL"
Criticism Coming
The governor win sharply oriti-
cizc candidates for public office
who have no information about
Isl and no responsibility TO adj
mlnistering II In coming out among
its advocates.
aOf these latter. ! have per-
sonally known that some Of them
are privately telling their sc-
quaintances to vote against Isl,
while they publicly espouse IL in
the hope Of winning votes.
why should we tamper with
the program at this time. when
We are in the midst of war to
defend out very existence as a
nation? Why should we launch.
in these critical days. into a vast
new social program involving SUBJ
stantial benefits to $4,000 persons.
regardless of age? Why should
our aged citizens toss overheard
the sound pension program they
now have for the 'crackpot' ex-
perimental, shotgun legislation
which now is on the ballot as
Initiative No. ISL?
Questions Asked
why should the parents Of our
school children; and why should
our workmen in the industries Of
the state take this chance Of hav-
ing their funds impaired and their
sources of tax revenue preempted
for this vast dole to reliefers. which
ISL superimposes upon our PEN
sion program? Why should the
people of our state, who have a
public and personal interest in the
maintenance of our great institu-
tons, our insane asylums, our cor
receive, custodial and penal insti-
tutions, our veterans homes, our
educational institutions, our roads
and highways, our forest, fish and
game resources, and all of the other
vital functions of the state govern
ment, permit this new measure or
any measure to get on our statute
books which will swallow up the
finances which should go to these
great undertakings?
why should our wage earners,
our consumers and our property
owners consent to an initiative
which will inevitably bring great
new tax burdens at time when
we are valiantly striving to bear
the financial burdens of war?
Why should any of us, as intelli-
gent, patriotic Americans. permit
ourselves TO be swerved from the
great task of victory in which we
are all engaged by this legislative
monstrosity which a handful Of
agitators have concocted in a back
room?
AT the beginning Of this talk
told you that as governor 1t was
my clear obligation and duty TO
tell you the facts about Initiative
No. ISL. I now say that, as loyal
citizens of Washington 1t Is now
the obligation and duty Of every
one Of US TO turn back this threat
in our voting booths next Tuesday
and to get back to the job of win