The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1865-04-22
The Taxes Of the Present and Past Year
Compared--HOw much they are, and
who levied Them.

/
devoted to our Territorial and County fnan-
ces in which the editor endeavors to, show
that the taxes are greater this year than FAST
He starts out by saying, that eight mills
were levied last year fOE Territorial, and ten
mills for county purposes, which is substan-
TALLY correct; but he would seem to infer
that they were payable in greenbacks. Now
every taxpayer in this county knows that
Sheriff Pinkham refused to take anything but
coin or gold dust for taxes, and was sustain
ed by the courts, and upon examination of
the revenue law for 1864 we can no where
find that it might or could be paid in legal
tenders The Territorial Treasures report
shows that the northern counties paid their
taxes in greenbacks, greatly to the detriment
of the warrant holders.
The only motive the editor could have, in
my Judgment, is to cast odium on the Dem
ocratio party, or the last Legislature,-one
branch of which was Democratic This being
the case, we will undertake to show that he
Iis grossly mistaken.
Six mills was the amount fixed by the
House to be assessed for Territorial purposes.
but it was raised to eight by the Council,
which was Republican. The House refused
to concur, and conference committee was
called, which agreed upon seven mills as a
compromise, and the new law being deemed
better one than the old, it was allowed to
pass the House as amended. The Journals
of the two Houses will bear me out in this
assertion.
So much for the Territorial taxes. Now
in regard to- the counties. They had become
under the beauties of Republican rule almost
bankrupt; their scrip or warrants bearing
mere nominal price, and in some instances
worth but few cents on the dollar. To-
remedy this evil was work the last Legis-
lature had to perform, which would have
been an easy task if both Houses had been
Democratic, as funding bills could have been
passed reducing the county expenses to a
cash basis, and reducing the expenses at least
one half-leaving large margin of the rev.
enue already levied to pay interest on bonds,
and create Sinking Fund that would have
paid off the entire indebtedness in, q. few
years. But this was defeated by the Repub-
lican Council. Then something must be done
to sustain our county governments The !
consequence we see in the revenue law. Fiji |
teen mills were allowed to beleved by the
county commissioners, if they thought it was
necessary, with an express provision that the
same could be paid in county warrants at
par, which would make the taxes only seven
and half mills, counting scrip to be worth.
fifty cents on the dollar, which is more than
it is worth in any county in this Territory.
Taking it all together. we can pay our taxes
cents on the hundred dollars
LESS than we could LAST YEAR.
Again, license-tax can be paid half in
county scrip, or the. whole, if drawn in favor
Of the party applying, which will be great
saving to that class of our taxpayers. The
special tax levied for the INDECENT sick seems
to have escaped the notice Of the learned
Radiator. We will therefore let that pass,
that our citizens are willing to pay {
4 small pittance for the support of this. un- {
fortunate class Of cur fellow-citizens.
But there is another tax that disturbs the
Radiator terribly. That is the tax of one per
cent. levied. by Republican Legislature
see revenue law of first session, sections
)6-97-98-99 and LOO on all nett proceeds of :
mines and mining claims. The editor goes s
IF almost into Mysteries over the repeal of
aid tax, and says the mlneEs are let off scot :
rec, &c. That is too bad, but to the facts in :
he case C
It is a well established fact that the pro- i
ulcers have to bear directly or indirectly, all :
he taxes the merchant ADDS to. the price of a
lis goods, the amount of his taxes and IL t
'ense and the miners, or producers, have it
o pay. So with the lawyer, doctor, and all
,ther trades and professions Then this :
miners tax was one that could not be colec- Fl
ed of any one else, consequently it could not o
,e called uniform one. 1t is true that the e
collectors never attempted to collect this tax, =
o, my knowledge. And here the Radiator $
its on the truth for once. in regard to the Il