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Show THE CITIZEN PICK THE PLUM. Former Secretary Albert B. Fall is disgusted with the entire reclamation administrative organization and suggests that some good d farmer be placed in charge who is conversant with irrigation problems, instead of the present incompetent engineers who have failed to make good as managers. He further suggests that the office be abolished at Washington and be established at Denver or some other western point. If this office is moved west, this city is its natural home from an irrigation standpoint of view, and if Utah pulls hard enough there is no reason why it cannot be brought here. S charge you a little extra money. It necessitates a loan, which means payment of interest. On the whole, we prefer ia Republican surplus any day to a Democratic deficit. Jong-heade- PROPERTY EXEMPT. Property owned by the Federal government is not subject to taxation. If public ownership were adopted in this country and the tax-fre- e exemption continued, there would be enormous losses to public treasuries, quite enough to force a radical revision of public expenditures or a hunt for new sources of income. During 1921 railways under government operation paid taxes amounting to $275,128,124. Of that sum $37,176,773 went to the United States government and the remainder, $237,951,161 went Public ownership would to the states and local governments. mean the loss of all that sum to the public treasuries. There is an increase in taxation paid by railways. Statistics indicate the total for 1922 will be about $304000,000. On these In that properties in 1916 the taxes amounted to $162,474,733. year the railways paid taxes of $681 per mile of track, while in 1921 the taxes paid per mile had been increased to $1223. These are some of the practical questions involved in any campaign for public ownership of utilities and transportation. They are of interest to the public because the information has a large value to the taxpayers, who will be affected by heavier taxes falling on all property that remains in private ownership. TROLLEY TIE-U- P. FRANCE IS PIKING. France boasts of the improvement in her financial situation and .arranges for huge loans to countries over which she can exercise diplomatic influence. Meanwhile no mention is made of the debt of $4,000,000,000 she owes American taxpayers, and there is no indication that even the interest on that huge obligation will be paid in the near future, if ever. Fifteen or more other debtor nations are similarly oblivious to the fact that their notes to America are several years overdue. It is no misstatement of fact to say that American taxpayers are financing the occupation of the Ruhr, the loans of France to Poland and Roumania for the purchase of munitions, the expedition of Italy against Greece and Fiume, and other European activites more or less in violation of the spirit of the League of Nations covenant. France is beginning to weaken and is now ready or about ready to join the allies and the United States to consider Germanys capacity to pay the reparation demanded. Yes, we have no bananas today, but we shall paint the bathouse green. Joe Galigher wanted to know where all the votes came from. The weatherman had not predicted a snowstorm. Tammany of New York is proud of its record, but it has nothing on the M. I. A. which meets on every election day in this city, and from which meeting place the members wander to the polls to render the verdict. The labor unions supported the church ticket. Some of the old Another community has witnessed the paralyzing effect of sustimers are wondering whats going to happen next. pension of its trolley car service. The Public Service Company of Newark, New Jersey, which serves 145 municipalities in its territory, has, through a combiAccording to reports many of the election judges took the law nation of circumstances, the principal among which was jitney into their own hands and voted people whose names were not on buss competition, been forced to suspend operation pending the the registration books. working out of new wage agreements and schedule of fares. Only when a traction company is forced to the extremity of It appears from the election returns that the Gentiles have advanrealize the to the does begin public operation suspending moved out of the Fifth precinct and have gone to California. Yes, of and transportation. trolley regular necessity tages and the Mormons must have returned for this election. Transportation by jitney busses in thickly populated communities today creates a congestion of traffic that endangers the lives Who has put Governor Mabey wise that the saloons are runof not only those riding in the busses, but of every pedestrian and hjv'se drawn vehicle that has to use the streets. ning wide open in this city. The governor has put in an S. O. S. V is a costly experience for any city, but each call to the officers to get busy and make the state dry. And what A traction tie-u- p one emphasizes the advantage of the modern electric transporta- will the poor politicians do then? tion system. AGAINST RICHES. Some editors fear that the surplus in the Federal treasury may prove to be a misfortune tempting to extravagance. Perhaps our contemporary speaks from personal experience, having observed that when he has a few hundred dollars of surplus in his bank account he is tempted to buy a new auto, go to Atlantic City, or indulge in siQie other extravagance. Perhaps. But we think that our friend will acknowledge that if a surplus is a misfortune, there is even a greater misfortune a deficit. When you have a surplus, there is certainly a temptation to spend. But, even so, you usually get for your money what you think the money is worth. But a deficit has many disadvantages. It hurts your credit. It causes dealers to -- Pearl F. Kirkendall was elected mayor of Ogden. Kirkendall is an undertaker. The citizens no doubt thought that it was time to bury Ogden and the voters have done their share in the matter. It is now up to Kirkendall. The New York World remarks that the only time England can use an Irishman is when he emigrates to the United States and votes for free trade. The World ought to applaud that sentiment instead of condemnig it, since the World is a rank free trader. However, the Irish emigrant who enters American industrial life soon learns the idiocy of voting for free trade. It is the chap who gets tangled up with Tammany, or similar organizations, who helps England. |