Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-02-09
WAY A.e Taxes Il Oh .

Way Are Taxes II CHS
.,1iA>,r~ Lr..n and. ne burdens
+ hes, AL too oit,u .,ur,ul" that
& m-A ;AN..a,c cAu-' I IS ui-m.n-
.- mAt,,t,-,'l,,f>. u. .,--cAttAy-
a ..s are i.rul:'ri Too often
'- ~. ~.;h,,! on uu- >pectin- Gus
ans e. public int'icsi-. hnt back Of
=. = system O.: local government
TIA. c.uiucc~ to- cNtrlyaranc"-. \
en-. "a. c.iu,Ar.-. IN ui tie machinery
%: county government IN thi- state
with that in any OF the Mississippi
valley states well disc,o-ts the uunr-
c,-sary work that our constitution and
laws require OF county officers
For instance. iii the superior Court
j. placed the prohatlng of estates.
Tins l. not properly a work that he-
'.ugs IN tl.i> court; it j. rather Il hu>i-
uc.s rrncecding that might well be as
signed 70 another officer, a probate
court. The stttl,m mt OF estates hoes
not call for that Professional knowl-
edge Of the law and all its intricacics
required OF "a superior Court Judge.
For a few hundred dollars, in addition
t. this incom" from Iii, practice, any
fairmiuIcd and honest lawyer would
serve hi. county az Probate Judge
Again the Warrington constitution
gives Superior Court jurisdiction
over amounts above 800. That is, il
farmer has promiseory note against
his neighbor for $500 which lie desires
TO reduce to a judgment. he must en-
ploy lawyer, file his complaint in the
Superior Court and, although no de-
Tense is made, the case must occupy
its place on the motion docket, the
trial docket, the fee book, the
judgment record, the index. etc, etc.
And all this while there is a Justice OF
the Peace in his precinct that could
have rendered a judgment on the note
at less than s. costs were it not for
our absurd provision of the constitu-
ton. Were the Probate and Justice
Court business taken out of the Su.
perior Court, one Superior Judge could
hold court in several counties, as is
done in most, if not in all, eastern
States.
The Auditors office is no better sit
uated. Our laws require work done
there OF no public benefit, and might
well he dispensed with.
A Board Of County Commissioners
is expensive. Why should each of q
set of county officers be required to
give bonds for faithful performance
of their duties and the law then re-
quiz three men, At a cost of about
$2,4 D per year, to watch III, m?
Other instances might b. cited to
show that our laws are lar ye.y respon-
sible for high taxes and not altogether
the incompetency of public servants.
1t is not a sufficient answer to say
that fee is required for each act per-
formed by an officer and that the fee
goes to the county. The fees fixed
since the salary system went into OPP
Grafton are SO low they do not pay the
expenses of the office; an Office that
might save the taxpayers SUM thing
under the fee system is found to be a
burden under the salary system-an-
other instance OF incompetency in law
making.
When will relief be had? is a diff
cult question to answer. So far in
our State history, legislators are chosen
with reference to their vote for United
States Senator; practical legislation
for the people is incidental.
There is ample opportunity in the
situation for the people to think
when caucus season comes around, to
the end that practical legislators are
chosen rather than men who are sub
servicnt to politicians.