The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1895-12-14
Tracing the Responsibllty.

Editor Leader.
have read with some interest the
remarks of Taxes" and "BellicoSe, -
which appeared in the Leader on the
18th ana 18th inst on the subject of
our county and city taxes, aud W hile
fully endorse much that is said by
both, | do not think either point out
the actual responsibility for the condi-
tion that confrohts the taxpayers OF
this county.
In my judgment the troubles lie in
the fact that the county com mission
ers adopted and fixed the valuation
and percentage for county and muni-
clip Al purposes which the board of
equalization had fixed for territorial
purposes.
The territorial board, under the law,
has no more to do with this municipal
tax or the valuation of property foI
such purposes than the county com
missioners have to do with fixing val
1es and the percentage for territorial
purposes When the board of equali.
zation have found the percentage
necessary to run the territorial gov
ernment and equalized the values in
the several counties TO meet this per
centage, then it is obligatory upon the
county commissioners to order the
levy in accordance Herewith TO meet
the territorial obligations There is
no law on the statute book requiring
them to fix the same values for muni.
cipal and county purposes. The funds
are separate and distinct, and SC kept
by the county treasurers as the law
requires, and the county commission
ers could just as easily lowered the
valuations, thereby lowering the
taxes. as If there had been no valua-
tions or percentage fixed Oy the board
of equalization. | quote the law as il
relates to the powers of the board OF
equalization, Article l, Chap. So, Sec. i
"Ihe governor, auditor and secretary
shall constitute the territorial board
of equalization and said board OF
equalization shall hold session at the
capital of the territory, commencing
on the third Monday in June of each
year, and IT shall be the duty of sald
board to examine the various county
assessments and TO equalize the same,
and TO decide upon the rate OF terri
torial tax TO be levied for the current
year, together with any other general
or territorial taxes required by law u
be levied, and to equalize the levy oi
such taxes throughout the territory
and shall therefrom find the percent
age that must be added TO or deducted
| from the annual value of each county
and shall then order the percentage 81
found TO be addict to or subtracteC
| from the assessed values of each of the
various counties of the territory; anC
shall notify the various county clerk,
of the percentage so ordered to b'
added TO or subtracted from the valua
ton of property in their respective
counties"
From this it will be seen that tn,
board of equalization has no more Il
do with fixing the values or the per
centage !or county and municipal pur
poses than Taxes" and "Bellicose
had TO do with the slaughter of tn,
Armenians by the Tdrks, or with Sc
curing the Republican national con
vention for St. Louis on June 10th.
/ repeat with Taxes" and "Belli
cose" that this insane idea OF taxinl
Guthrie to its death will recoil and hi
somebody, TO his lasting disgrace, as i
ought to. Taxes that drive busines
men out of town, and prevent other
from coming TO il and investing thei
money, is the plague of a nightmar
that will cover with its baneiul wing
the hopes OF any city or town, howeve
grand or fruitful the country that SUI
rounds il may be. GUTHRIE