Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-07-13
A MATTER OF AsToNISHMENT,

This IL a time of many surprises
Among them Is one that Is almost
startling, even In the midst Of political
excitement misconceptlon and mis-
representation. II is an alleged com
vincing reply 10 purported adverse
criticism Of the county commission
crs said to have appeared in IAN even
ing paper" AS the subject Of the yalu-
ntlon Of property and the rate OF taxa
tlon has not recently been mentioned
in any paper but the Deseret News It Is
evident that an editorial IN the News
OF Tuesday evening Is the so-called
"criticlsm" which has elected the at
tempted reply"
Now, we invite special attention TO
the brief article IN question, that 1t may
be made clear beyond rational dispute
that we made no adverse criticism Of
either the present or past board Of
county commissioners. on the con-
trary. the only allusou to the course
OF the gentlemen now in Office was very
complimentary. We found no fault
with them, but simply asked them 10
consider fact that cannot be denied,
for we furnished the figures, namely
that the total valuation OF property for
1904 Is higher than that Of former years
and then suggested that in view OF the
hardship imposed upon poor property
owners by high taxation, II would be
q graceful act to reduce the levy for
this year.
Imagine our establishment at seeing,
in a morning paper, a long disquisition
of a partisan character which avoids
entirely the point put forward, rambles
over matters not touched upon or hint
ed at In this paper, nor relevant to our
remarks, and winding UP with a d.
rect and positive falsehood, easily
proved to be such by reference to files
Of the Deseret News, and on a matter
fresh in the minds Of the taxpayers Of
this city. We can account for the ef-
fusion only on the agitation Of mind
consequent on the heat OF the weather
and the upheavals In the political at
mosphere.
It will be observed by sane readers
that the News" made no complaint
about individual valuations Of property
All the talk wasted on that Is gratult-
Gus and superlluous, II Is the total
valuation for each year that we named,
with the view OF showing that with las
increase there might probably come
reduction In the tax levy.
IL is not party question.
There was no intmatlon, nor even a
thought, that politics had anything to
do with the matter. The inslnuat tons
IN that direction INDUCED In, are sim
ply silly and have nothing 10 do with
the case" The only question is, can
not the tax levy Tor the year 1904 be
decreased from that OF the past seven
years. We remarked that ten years
ago the total valuation was nearly the
same as that Of this year and the levy
then was but three mills, Is not that
true? We had no thought about who
We're the incumbents OF office at that
time, nor Of finding any fault with their
successors. That Go all Imaginary on
the part Of the would-be critic who has
gone OF In crazy tangent away from
the real subject, We may add that 1t
was a prominent and influential Repub-
lican who first suggested TO us the need
of a reduction In the tax rate.
The annexed paragraph closes the al
legged reply to criticism that was
never made;
an this connection Il may also be
said that the same paper that is now
critlclsing the Board of County Com.
mlssloners for the alleged increase In
property valuations and the alleged
high rate of taxation, just one year ago
abused the Commissioners for not in
Creaslng the school tax 80 per cent In
the county The city Board OF EduCa'
tl0n wanted "a levy OF 2-5 mills made
The Commissioners thought 22-l0 sur.
nCient. The paper referred TO abused
the Commissioners. The tax levied
proved ample for all purposes
All that we need to say as 10 that Is
that this paper supported the County
Commissioners at the time referred To-
much TO the chagrn OF good friends on
the Board of Education, some Of whom
were highly lncensed mt the News
for doing so This paper did not abuse
anybody connected with the dispute
and 'the tax levied did NOT prove SUI.
fcient for all purposes" as everybody
knows who Is acquainted with the fact.
and the results. Anyhow, the News
dld not take issue with the County
Commissioners then. nor has lt don't
80 now, except In noticing the absolute
nonsense purportlng to come from tha
quarter as TO the article in the News
OF Tuesday We repeat our sugges
ton, which Is all there is to be con