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Show What Welfare State? It has lately become the fashion among America's professional viewers-with-alarm to raise a horrified eyebrow eye-brow as what is darkly referred to as the "welfare state." America is going to Hell in a basket, the alarmists warn, because her people have come to depend more and more on the federal and state governments for security and well-being. The word comes frequently from those who are supposed to know that the enervating generosity of the government handout has all but blighted what was once the outstanding characteristic of the American people the will to build and accomplish on their own. Mebby so, but we doubt it. There are too. many evidences evi-dences to the contrary right here in Sanpete that people still want a better way of living and are still willing to go to considerable lengths to obtain it government aid or no government aid. The $200,000 Sanpete LDS hospital, a tremendous advance in medical treatment for this area, wasn't built with funds showered upon us by an overly-generous Uncle Samuel. It was built with money contributed (in some cases at considerable sacrifice) by the people who will use the hospital and a matching amount from the L.D.S. Church. And although some technicalities have still to be overcome, it looks as if a group of North Sanpete farmers have decided to go ahead on construction of the Gooseberry project WITHOUT the help of the federal government. That isn't to say that federal aid should be spurned when and if it becomes available as a legitimate loan to help finance the Gooseberry. It is simply to take pride in the fact that there are still in this broad land men who are willing to take a chance on, of all people, themselves. And another thing.- In this issue of the Pyramid there are outlined the North Sanpete school board's proposals for a $213,000 building program. The improvements suggested are worthy ones, but the impressive thing about the proposals is what they tell about the school board's attitude. No magic source of funds is promised for financing the building and improvement program. If the people want the program they will have an opportunity to vote for a bond issue July 12. But, it is pointed out, the bonds can be purchased at a comparatively cheap rate because the district is out of debt and has accumulated a $50,000 fund for new construction, a record bonding companies look upon with favor. "The North Sanpete school district has a good bonding history," the board points out. "It has consistently, through good years and bad, discharged its debts. It is largely because of this record that it has been able to obtain ob-tain money at such a reasonable rate of interest." Spelled out above, then, are several concrete examples of a way of thinking that simply does not belong under classification: Welfare State. We submit that the examples cited are the rule, not the exception, and that the gloomy seers who fear the imminence im-minence of the welfare state had better take another look. |