THE BALLOT-BOX AS A JOKE 



institution that then had charge of all the 

 state property, was instructed to prepare 

 the necessary plans. 



Nevertheless, the walls of that structure 

 did not rise. Instead, the Board of Control 

 spent the assessment in traveling around 

 the state and in publishing a six-hundred-page 

 report showing that a terminal elevator was 

 unnecessary. 



To reach this discovery it had summoned 

 the assistance of mighty minds, and these 

 quickly showed that when the people voted 

 twice for terminal elevators they did not 

 know what they were about. The existing 

 system provided all the elevation needed and 

 was, in fact, quite admirable and efficient, if 

 viewed in the true light. But the legislature 

 had not aathorized the Board of Control to 

 seek this advice nor to heed it; the people had 

 never contemplated any advice taken from 

 any source. So far as the record went the 

 board had no shadow of right to do anything 

 except to prepare plans and start the build- 

 ing. It did neither, but betook itself to show- 

 ing, with the aid of outside counsel, how in- 

 ferior and defective was the judgment of the 

 people. 



And who were these eminent counselors 

 that thus obliged with wisdom's winged words? 



Mr. James J. Hill, Mr. E. P. Wells, Mr. 

 Julius Barnes. 



105 



