Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1901-03-30
CLEVER woRg.
New 0rmsby's Representatives Saved S. 0. rs
frem Becoming imperative.

its trainers, and exterminating the
"bugs" in it, belongs to the repre-
sentatives of Ormsby county.
The fight for revenue reform in
the legislature began when Senator
Livingston introduced the resolution
in the Senate calling for special
Joint Committee of Revenue.
After they had framed bill, the
main features of which were the
calling together of the Assessors of
the fourteen counties of the State,
and a flexible tax rate for the State,
the fight was on between the people
who desire honestly and conscien-
tiously to pay their just proportion
of taxes and those who do not.
The first joker in the bill was slip
ped in very quietly, and read as fol-
lows:
Provided further, That
nothing herein shall be so
construed as to iinpare the
right OF the Board Of Kquali-
zation of any county to
equalize taxes as now pro-
vided by law
In other words, the County Boards
could at will, abrogate the agree
ments made by the Assessors at
their Carson meeting and undo all
their work.
The Ways and Means Committee
to whom the bill was referred, un-
animously voted to knock out this
joker, the argument against it being
made by Senator Flanagan.
The Committee amended it SO as to
read that the County Board only had
jurisdiction OH property "the valu-
ton of which had not been fixed by
the annual meeting of County AS
SCISSORS as provided tor in this Sec
ton"
This joker having been disposed
of, the Senate passed the bill unani-
mously and sent it to the House.
The same influences which were
against the bill in the Senate, and
which were so conspicuously inef-
fective, were also at work III the
House.
The following amendment was
first offered to the bill by Nelson:
Provided, Any taxpayer
under the provisions of this
Act shall not be deprived of
any remedy or redress by
law now in force relating to
the payment of taxes.
Sweeney was on his feet at once
and moved to lay the motion on the
table.
The fakirs dare not argue the
proposition, for they would have to
show their hands, and the amend.
ment was tabled.
On the final passage of the bill in
the House, Van Duzer, the man who
had been preaching tax reform, on
the very lines laid down in the bill
from so many stumps and writing
cards for newspapers. telling the
public what he was going to do in
Carson, rose up and offered the same
amendment.
This time Platt rose and disposed
of him so neatly that few saw how
cleverly it was accomplished.
1t was the same old job to disem-
bowel the bill.
Platt, in disposing of him. employ
ed his suavest manner, and said he
thought the amendment was an ex-
cellent one, and Van Duzer began to
smile as he thought how nicely he
was fooling everybody, but his jaw
dropped as Platt proceeded to explain
that he desired to have the section rs
explicit as possible, and he wanted
the words added, "In a court of law"
Van was in a place where he dare
not show his hand and was obliged
to accept the amendment. He sat
down scowling and chagrined, and
once more the Job of allowing a
County Board of Equalization to de-
stroy the intention of the bill was
toiled.
1t was contest, short and decisive,
between a man of brains and hon
esty, and a clumsy fakir, and the
straight course won.-ArfeaL.