Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-01-08
THE EXTRA SESSION.
TALK WITH GOVERNOR WILEY
CONCERNING 1T.
Some Of the Difficulties That Now Con.
front the State officials.

Boise statesman.l
Governor Wiley was asked yester-
day by a reporter regarding the prob.
ability of the Legislature being called
10 extra session. He stated that he
had not yet made up his mind upon
the subject, but was weighing the
matter very carefully. He did not
know just how soon the decision
would be arrived at, but stated that
the session should be held in Febru.
airy, if at all.
"The principal subject demanding
attention." said the governor, sis that
connected with the powers aud duties
of the State Board of Equalization.
The decision Of the Supreme Court
has left the matter in very bad shape,
and it is possible that complications
may arise next year in collecting rails
way taxes unless we have the matter
Strengthened up by the legislature.
1t is possible that the companies
would refuse to pay their taxes if the
assessments were not properly equal.
lied, the provision Of the constitution
which declares that taxes shall be uni
form upon the same class Of subjects.
They might claim that it was the duty
of the board to exercise authority
under the territorial statute and make
the railroad assessment. The rail-
roads do not want to evade their
taxes, but they do not want tc be
made footballs Of, and will be apt to
insist upon being placed in definite
position before the law"
Continuing, the governor spoke OF
number Of points upon which it has
been held that the Supreme Court had
not passed, but the fact remained, he
said, that rule had been laid down
which might not be easily gotten
around.
Referring to the duties of such
boards elsewhere, the governor said:
"Thronghout all the northwestern
States and Territories the tendency
has been to enlarge their duties, and
they are everywhere clothed with
authority to bring about uniformity of
taxation. In Nevada, after working
all these years without State Board,
the last Legislature created one with
very broad powers. In California the
State Board Is authorized to equalize
by three classes--real estate, improve.
ments on real estate, and personal
property, railroads being assessed by
a different board. Washington's law
was originally the same as ours, but
it has been enlarged"
TO show that it is impracticable for
the board TO operate under the present
statute, the governor called attention
to several points. In the first place,
the county auditors are not required
to furnish the board, at the time of it's
meeting, the aggregate assessment of
their counties. In the second place,
there are three classes of assessable
property which it is impossible to add
to or deduct from. These are, money,
solvent debts and mortgages. These
are fixed and they cannot be added
to or deducted from as would result
from a general increase of reduction
in any given county. again." said
the governor, "if there is want of
uniformity in the assessment of any
class of property throughout the
State, whose duty is it to adjust? 1t
must be the duty of the State Board,
but if the board cannot equalize by
classes, the lack of uniformity cannot
be corrected"
Another subject that needs legisla-
tive attention Is that OF the legislative
apportionment. The law passed by
the last legislature provided two
representatives for Alta county, one
for Lincoln, and one jointly between
Alta and Custer; it also provided for
one senator Tor Alta; for one jointly
between Gilmore and Lincoln and one
jointly between Alta and Custer.
Since the law creating Alta and Lin
coin counties had been declared un-
constitutional the apportionment was
upset for NANTES: reasons. The only
recourse was TO fall back upon the
former apportionment which would
be scandaiously unjust to some of the
northern counties.
Still another subject was the adjust.
ment of tie bonded debt of Lincoln,
Alturas and Logan counties, while
there were some minor matters which
would be included in the call, should
it be made.
Two senators have died since the