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Show T H E C 4 Who starts agitation for public ownership of industry? Not the inpeople as a whole but persons politically inclined who in most machine at stances wish to build up a vote getting and the expense of the public. In the states of Oregon and Missouri a campaign is now being carried on to establish monopolistic state workingmens compensation insurance. There is no more need for the state entering the insurance business after it passes laws governing and providing the same, than there is for it entering the banking business after it passes laws regulating banks for the protection of depositors. There is no possible excuse for the state eliminating private competition by establishing a monopoly in this field. There are proposals in the states of California and Washington to start gigantic public ownership schemes for the development of hydro-electri- c power. There is no public demand for such development and there is no need for it as private power companies under public regulation are already supplying power in excess of the needs of the territories served. Now, the mayor of Seattle advocates a municipal "telephone system because it has been necessary to increase the rates of the telephone company. He has already ordered a 30 per cent reduction in telephone service in various departments of city government to reduce the city phone bill. In the same breath he advocates establishing a Seattle municipally-owned telephone system that will furnish service to subscribers at $1 per month. Think of such tempting bait to interest the voter. Even a poor fish, if it has been lucky enough to escape a well baited hook for a time or two becomes careful of what it swallows. The fact that Seattle car fares under municipal ownership are about the highest in the United States and the fact that no telephone service in any large city is furnished for $1 a month or at a figure anywhere near that amount, may cause Seattle voters to be a little, slow about swallowing this last juicy bait which is thrown out to them. Who asked for all of these undertakings at public expense? Not the taxpayers, but in every instance the job-providi- tax-spender- ng s. FOREST FIRES What per cent of the forest fires in the west are caused by carelessness and what per cent is caused through incendiarism? Several days ago the writer was in Wanship and several fires wTere noted on the hills to the east of city. It was reported that some of the herders were moving and wTere burning out the brush on the old feeding grounds. Is it not the burning out of this brush in many localities which is the cause of so many fires we have throughout the country? A Greensburg, La., paper reports that in an endeavor to burn the carcass of a deer which they had shot illegally, two hunters started a brush fire in a national forest last fall which escaped their control. It was necessary for the government to call out a large crew of men in order to extinguish the fire. As it was, 2,000 acres of forest land was blackened before the fire was put out. The two hunters were subsequently hailed into court and ordered to pay the United States federal which government the sum of $2,500, the cost of controlling the fire had been started by their own negligence. This is a significant decision and adds strength to the legal precedent for personal liability for fire carelessly started. It will undoubtedly stimulate a wholesome public respect for forest protection. concerted effort, or The practice of team-worwhatever it may be aptly called, cannot be emphasized too vigorously in fire prevention. At the same time, individual responsibility and the sinister shadow of personal liability will do much to stay the careless hand. Destroy the timber and wood growth on the hillsides and the former protected watersheds also diminish very materially. k, co-operati- . THE VERDICT. Next Wednesday Judge Cavcrly will pass sentence upon Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr., the two young Chicago boys who committed one of the most fiendish and dastardly crimes recorded in our I T I Z E N criminal records. The boys are sons of millionaires, therefore their crime is all the greater. Notwithstanding the fact that the two boys were provided with all the luxuries of life, they kidnapped a mere child whom they slaughtered as a butcher would a calf, and then demanded a ransom from the slain childs father with a threat of death if the blackmail money was not paid. A more terrible and horrifyiiJJ' thing could not happen to any family. To think of your own child foully murdered if a certain sum of money was not forthcoming would drive the ordinary father and mother insane. The suffering of the Franks family must have been beyond all comprehension. Even a rattlesnake warns its victim, but these blood-thirstvillians murdered their victim without giving him any possible chance for his life. It was his lifes blood they were after and they took it. The Bible says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and a life for a life; the law says hang them, but what will the verdict be? Society must be protected and the law cannot accord protection by allowing such murderers to live. They are safe in the cemetery. They should be sent to their redeemer for judgmnt and the bookljf life closed to them on this earth. The sooner we get rid of this class of criminals the sooner will the nation return to peace and quietness. We must have law and order and criminals will not provide it. Then our time, money and sympathy with them? There are too many technicalities allowed in our courts when hardened criminals appear and the evidence is conclusive as to their guilt. .To many murderers are allowed to escape. A murderer should pay the death penalty for his crime. y why-wast- e EXPERIENCE. Our people, and especially the rural element of our great state grumble sore at the expense of government. One of the big items of expense is the primary election law. We hold two elections instead of one. One for the purpose of selecting candidates and the other is to determine which of the several candidates shall have the offices. So many of the older states had adopted this system that we thought it was good. It may be good from the economic point that money that comes from the people and goes back to the people is not lost to the country. But it has not worked that way in Montana. The money has gone to the people but not just the money they have furnished but the money our children will have to pay. We did not figure on this when we stood up for the primary law. And we said if it was not what we wanted we might repeal it. Now we have come to the conclusion that in the interest of economy we should repeal it. It has not improved our government in the least. It has put an eme bargo on our slogan that the office should seek the man and You never hear that mentioned these days. not the man the office. The primary law tends to build up a class of office seekers. The farmer does not avail himself of the primary privilege. He stays at home on account of the busy season and leaves it to some one else to put up the slate for him. Hence as a measure in the interest of agriculture it It has failed completely and we shall be glad to see it repealed. has been weighed in the balance and found wanting, and it must be repealed. There is no sense in the Montana farmer maintaining a law that avails them nothing and is a tremendous and needless expense. Lets go back and try the old plan again. We can not afford to pay for the thing we have. The system is burdensome and an intelligent people ought to know when we have enough of it. Ask your candidate for the legislature if he will favor a repeal of the burdensome fiasco and let us start again and try to learn economy as we go along. Rocky Mountain Husbandman. old-tim- th-pric- e WATER PROBLEM. The investigation of the water problem of this city made by the Salt Lake Telegram has without doubt saved this city from a big contemplated bond issue. Reports came in from all parts of the city that the city ought to bond itself again to build several big dams to str water, and the dry season was a good one to circulate the propaganda. The Telegram is to be complimented for the interest it has taken in the matter for the general benefit of all the people, and it has presented real facts. When it is considered that a large portion of the water |