Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-10-19
COUNTY MUST
PAY TAXES
vttOrney General BagIey States
that the Constitution Pro-
videS for it

Attorney General John A. Bagley ar
Boise to be in attendance at the SUI
preme court which is in session here
this week. While in the city Mr.. Bag
ley will confer with county attorney
Miles $. johnson relative to the recent
decision Of the county board who under
an informal opinion of Mr.. Johnson's
voted not to pay the delinquent taxes
due the state from this county amount
ing to $1,000. Mr.. Bagley expressed
the opinion that when the question was
thoroughly explained to the commits
sioners and the people that there would
be no delay In making the necessary
arrangements to pay the taxes due the
state. In speaking of the matter last
evening he said
THE fact is that on going over the
records of the state. the auditor, treas
urer and myself discovered that he
counties in the state owed about $780,
600 to the state and on further search
it was learned that the counties had
not really been square with the state
since it's admission. While the con-
stitution provides that the state shall
run on a cash basis. the legislature
from year to year has provided for an
amount which in their judgment should
be sufficient to pay the current ex-
| penses during that year and gradually |
the state has been running In debt In
| 1900 the legislature bonded the state
for $117. 900 to pay the states deficiency
Indebtedness adm 1902 the state was
bonded for $49,5O0 more for the same
purpose and all the time the counties
in the state were owing the state this
$15O,0O0.
| THE county officers have not paid
and the state officers have failed to
urge payments and 1t seems to prob
ably be an oversight on part Of both
the county and state officers. Since
making the discoveries the present
state officers took the matter up with
the various counties and something
on the deficiency and nearly every
county in the state Is arranging to
make payments to the state at once.
The failure of the counties In the past
to make it's payments on the taxes is
an expense to the people of the state
as we'll as the state as interest Is now
being paid on the outstanding defici-
ency bonds. There is no question but
what the taxpayers in the state DO not
wish to pay this interest had hoped
that the disposition manifested by the
county officers in the state, as fast as
the matter is explained to them and the
interest taken by the people generally
in the matter indicated. the money in
!, nearly all il not all the counties would
be forthcoming soon.
LAS to Nezperce county it is one of
the counties that has not responded as
. vet and will take the matter up with
the county officers while here and en-
deavor to have what is due the state
:, paid.
1.-THE legislature provides the amount
that shall be raised each year for state
! purposes and this Is divided between
the counties in the proportion that the
counties valuation bears the state VAL
uation and is a binding obligation on
|
county commissioners under the law
are authorized to make the TAX levy
ard they. must do this as the state can
. not under the constitution. The county
the property in the county or he peo-
,,e can not be relieved from this Ia
bility until the state is paid the 1uil
II amount of taxes due it. Thus the IN
debtedness to the state should by all
means be paid and provision mace py
the county officers. There IS no ques-
ton about the county owing the state
and having to pay it and until tne
.mount is paid the taxpayers Will nave
70 nav the interest on the deficiency
bonds OF the state until 1t Is PAID
II have visited nearly all the coun'
ties i'm the state and many have eitnel
} maid IN or are arranging to pay. Ban
nock county has paid in full. Ada has
} paid ST. 900 and is arranging 20 pay tns
balance. Bear Lake is nearly paid VI
} apa ia arranging for the balance
oneida. bingham and Fremont are az
J ranging to pay theirs. In this 1t VII
ha noted that those counties having TN
money are paying up and those not ar
~ Is
orraneing to make a levy next year.
I'm my opinion there is not q dispo
sition OF the county officers not to pa
hut is due to the fact that many
them have not understood the situa
! tion.''
81 Mr.. Bagley states that no suit ma
I been instituted against any OF Tn
counties that have refused to pay an
he hopes to get along without It ou
that IL it becomes necessary to enforc
payment tina. he will follow the mat
ter up.
Mr.. Bagley states that the questio
Of the timber tax matter will come Y
lin the federal court at Moscow tn
! term. He states that the timber con-
! panies have secured an injunctio
D against the state to prevent the sellir
OF timber land for unpaid taxes, lar