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Show pW tew, By Harry Marlowe Even though most of the political noises coming out of Utah this year are aimed at 1956, it is going almost unnoticed un-noticed that this fall virtually every community in the state will elect municipal officials in varying numbers. There has been a growing tendency in the past few years to get more and more people interested in government govern-ment on state and national level. Unfortunately, this attitude, at-titude, while a good thing in its own right, is having the effect of lessening the interest of the people of the state in city and county government, particularly particu-larly city government. , Begins at Home This is not a good thing. Taxation Tax-ation and government, like charity, char-ity, begin at home. City taxes and city regulations are something some-thing which has an effect on eevry citizen or nearly every citizen. That is why right now, Is a pretty good time to stop putting put-ting the accent on 1956 and see what can be done about getting some Interest In 1955 elections. There should be an emphasis placed right now on getting good men interested In local government. govern-ment. Naturally, such jobs do not pay. Eut then, until you get Into the recently raised salaries salar-ies of federal officials, what political po-litical jobs do pay, except in opportunities op-portunities to do service. Granted, the men who control the machinery of state and federal fed-eral government should be men of high caliber. So also should be men who control the policymaking policy-making and law-making machinery ma-chinery in the governmental units closer to home the cities and towns. Crass Roots Politics Why not, then get political thinking down to the grass roots. By putting In top men In the local lo-cal positions you can accomplish accomp-lish two things. You can get local government efficiency into operation at the level where it will do the most good for the greatest number of people. And, by so doing, you can build up a reservoir of good candidates to step up to higher posts after they have proved themselves in lesser offices. Let's don't stop looking ahead to the next state and national election. But let's get into the swing cf things and think also of the election at hand 1955 nd municipal office holders. |