, 1890-01-18
THE GREAT QUESTION.

TIE n QUESTION.
There is a very great deal of talk about
the legislature taking some decisive ac-
ton regarding the salaries and fees now
being paid to county officials. There have
been vapid u~tterances In the public press
on the subject, and SO far very little gen
uine good has been accomplished.
We have heard it loosely stated on the
streets that some particular county oth
cial was making $4,000 a year out OF his
office, another $1,000 and still another
$4,000. All of these estimates may have
been within bounds, but VIZ have not yet
seen any figures to back the general state
ments which have been made. There is
no doubt that the popular cry now is for
retrenchment in the expenditure OF pub
lie moneys. For the past few years taxa
ton has been a grievous burthen and 1t Is
only natural hat a long suffering people
should at last call a halt in extravagant or
unnecessary expenditures IN any shape.
In this connection we would suggest to
the legislature that the question
of official salaries be taken up
very early in the session and commit
tees appointed to make Investigations,
showing as nearly as possible the amount
OF money which each county Official makes
out of his Office. Upon a complete report
prepared in this manner the legislature
may base an intelligent opinion as to the
best manner to proceed IN definitely fix
ing the salary which should go with each
Office. As no action which the legislature
may now take can affect the salaries of
the present l%ncumbents of the various
offices, those who may aspire to them
hereafter will know exactly what 10 ex-
pect in the matter Of compensation and
may strive for the Office or not as they
mag sec fit.
Fees should go into the various treasu
ries, except possibly in certain cases which
might be designated. The interest on
all public moneys, whether territorial,
county, municipal or belonging to school
districts, should be converted into the re-
spective treasures. and thus tend to les
sen the burthen of the taxpayer. There
is no doubt that n step in this direction
will be vigorously. though perhaps quietly
opposed in many influential quarters, but
the legislature may know that his course
will receive the sanction Of the public re-
gardless of party.
In this same line and of perhaps equal
importance is the subject of assessment
and the manner and method of equal.
Izing taxation. No one will dispute the
proposition that any system of taxation
which bears more heavily upon the poor
man in proportion to his possessions than
upon the rich man is radically and
~damnably wrong And yet while the
people have been groaning under the
burthcn Of taxation and ascribing it to
this cause and the other they have over.
looked this evil which is one of the most
important in the catalogue. We have
known of instances where men who own
great landed and other interests, were
assessed on a basis of less than % per
cent, while men owning a $500 resi-
dence were forced to pay IS and even
100 per ceut There have been
cases where a big body OF land has been
assessed at fifty cents an acre straight,
while a few acres, no more eliVibly located
or valuable in any respect (but unlortu-
nately owned by a poor NAM have been
assessed at s.. The inequalities which
appear on the assessment rolls OF every
county are marvellous when they are
siited down. The inevitable result OF
flvorlng the large holder at the expense
OF the small holder is to breed up a sort
of specially favored land aristocracy and
to assist and encourage the accumulation
ofimnense tracts OF lands, thus discour
aging emigration and retarding the de,
yelopment of the country.
Tue LEADER does not believe in giving
one construction to the law for the rich
man and another for the poor man. If q
man has big possessions he should pay
relatively big taxes. If he owns a $50,
00U house and the basis of assessment i:
IS per cent be should pav.on Sl5, zoo. Il
everything that another man in the com,
munity " Is a $500 house and lot he
should be assessed in the same proper.
ton, and not one cent more. We believe
the legislators should take a hand in the
equaliziug business and if they succeed in
framing a good, practical law they will
accomplish as much good as they possibly
could in any other direction.
Probate Notice.