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Show THE Cl TIZEN 4 of its valuables or some citizen terrorized and relieved of his watch or small chance. Most of these robberies and flagrant cases of law breaking are in a measure due to standards of living which were developed beyond the means of the individual to satisfy, while the nations was obsessed madness and revelling in the wealth of wages handed with war-tim- e down by mandate of the government to all who sought employment war work It is also true that much of the crime now being enacted day and nicht in this city is directly traceable to a gang of professional yeggmen and confidence artists of national repute. Evidently they find Salt Lake a haven of rest and security in their chosen work. in They are operating boldly without apparent check from the police force, whose duty it is to know and to apprehend all such criminals when they arrive in the city, before they have time to give their criminal propenisities an airing and help to fill our daily column of criminal happenings. Undoubtedly this city is considered a safe place for these professional bunko steerers and petty thieves to pitch their tents, or there would not be so much of their work in evidence. While unemployment and the general trend of hard times may have something to do with the multiciplicity of little crimes in the city, yet it cannot account for the big con games that have been pulled here within very recent history, involving sums in excess of $20,000 The Citizen might also mention the fact that several gambling games arc still running wide open on Main street of this city, where the man who loves the gaming table or would risk just a bit on the ponies, can get a swift chance to get rid of his money; and perhaps, not always, is he given a chance to sluff it off at the prevailing standards of risk governing gambling games in the days when the sport was part of the daily life of all western communities. It seems our police force is displaying a notable lack of ability; also it appears that they are blind to the fact that gambling is wide open in upstairs joints and that professional procurers keep silent vigils at the street entrances to this disreputable gaming house. Also it appears that our police do not know that the city is filled with con men and swift change artists, who from all reports, are gleaning a large average of the wealth of realm from the uninitiated who visit our city. From being a place of refuge for confidence artists, thieves and gamblers. Salt Lake should be heralded abroad as one of the most desirable cities for them to avoid. This can only be accomplished hv a few raids and a few arrests of the nimble-fingere- d tribe, and the facts given as much publicity as is being given the daily routine stories of crimes now enacted here during every twenty-fou- r hour thief-thatchi- ng period. v ik STATES SHOULD FILL THE SOLDIER BONUS GAP. Now that it has been established, beyond preadventure of a doubt, that to grant the world war heroes a bonus by the federal government. would result in financial disaster, what are the states going tn dp in the premises? This is a pertinent question to ask of all the several states which have not yet been moved to take action on this pressing problem. Utah is one of the states that has, so far, done nothing tangible in the way of compensating her fighting boys. She still rests contentedly in the list of fickle and unappreciative, Mammon worshiping communities, which cannot out of its vast resources, do for its soldier boys what the nation has failed to do, and what fourteen other states have already done. The federal government has not denied a bonus to the soldiers; it has merely postponed the day when such payment will be made. The exigencies of the time, rehabilitation of industries like the railroads, the necessity for reduced taxes and the foreign obligations accruing from the pledges and guarantees of the Wilson administration, have left the present administration strangled with a load of debt which the people can hardly bear, and it seems that the boys who fought to save this nation as well as' that of our European allies, must await a more favorable season before being recognized by national treasury in a monetary, way. But what of the states? Why cannot they fill in the gapj open by the national government and provide a suitable bom tide our fighting clans over one of the most threatening period idleness 'and unemployment this coming winter that has ever fronted any country? It seems that so far as the national government is concern the' profiteering war contractor, the munition, armament and sup profiteer, capital and labor, must be paid in full before the men,, advanced to the firing line get a bonus for saving the country, indeed, they ever get one. But the national government has felt, obligations and committments to meet, besides the mandate of people to lower taxes therefore it may be excused from pavin; bonus at this time with a good will. If the shelving of the bill is not an effort to kill it entirely, it will be revived next and passed, as it should be. Square treatment for the soldier boys of this state would a state bonus, no matter what may become of the national bonus The nine states that have passed bonus bills for their boys, in which the people spoke unequivocally and conclusive!; referendum, follow: . . bo: m; so! Maine . Michigan New Jersey New York Oregon ..... Rhode Island South Dakota Washington Wisconsin i deli belongs in the ranks of those states that have given their suitable recognition. It is a pity that this matter was not tat at the first session of the legislature under the new state tration and passed. It would have reflected the wishes of a nu of the people of the state and would have met with the appn all political adherents of all parties. Such legislation would been considered timely and constructive, in that it rendered jjjj the hour of need to a set of men who have every right tocjJ bonus, or any other form of compensation, from the states d fei nation. They fought to preserve our integrity and our trac while we stayed at home and reaped the ten per cent pkJ profits, made possible by an idealistically inclined and internal; disposed federal government. As the Utah legislative body meets only every two year manifestly .the duty of the governor to call a special sessional our Utah fighters that recognition which they deserve and a and has been accorded them by fourteen sovereign states of th' but withheld from them in Utah. ai TABOOING THE IMAGINATION. Nothing is left to the imagination these days. For instance the fact that we are beset with corn McVc chants, muddy city water after every rain, Irish questions, Jap questions, reconstruction committees. mjL Klaus, income tax, Bolshevists, hav fever, dollar oil at the di I orJ sa stations, worth 50 cents a barrel at the well, I. W. W.s. drout-Wet potato crop, pellagra, Socialists, pessimists, high rents. and various other contaminations including the Utah Gas Lj tax. is not. at all imaginary. mc Companys ready-to-serAnd again, just to fortify this all too patent fact iapnent is being left to ones imagination these post-wpro r,tccrfus t(. we have the before us the request of the Utah Gas & jthein I pany to the State Utilities Commission asking that it t fn. another hearing at which it hopes to show conclusively entitled to still higher rates for its product. m tail-end-basc-- hai' l ve ar 1 |