Rock Island Argus., 1908-12-16
The County Revenue

Port Byron, H., Dec. 14.-Edi-
| tor Argus: The idea of turning
county treasury is not exactly new.
Some 20 years ago, or more, proposed |
a similar plan, though not for the
| same reason, but no one paid any at |
tention to it, Verify the world do |
move"
| Writing on the temperance question |
| said that the municipality granting
the license should not receive the
revenue. The object was to remove
| the temptation to license saloons for
the sake of the revenue l believe, as
l then did, that this simple arrange
ment would close up about all the
licensed saloons outside of few large
cities, and as a temperance measure
one of the most promising.
From the taxpayers standpoint the
proposition as endorsed by the super
visors is only simple justice. The ar
lgument does not need repeating. If
the taxpayers and the temperance .peo-
pie will act together it can be put
| lHlS leAl SeSSlOH. "A
amendment, 10 or Is words, to the
dramshop act will suffice.
While on the subject another thing
deserves consideration. If the files of
the county papers could be searched
with sufficient care, it would appear
that about the same time / proposed
that the care of the poor should be
transferred from the county to the
townships. Each township should pro-
vide for it's own dependents, whether
by outside relief, or paying pro rata
for the care of such as may be COM
mitted to the county infirmary. An
overseer should be elected, not always
the supervisor, and the town auditors
should pass upon all bills.
This plan would promote economy
and efficiency. In the narrow limits
of country township cases of desti
tuition would be at once discovered
and promptly relieved. The opportun
ity for graft in these townships
would be reduced to it's lowest terms
The auditors being personally ac
quainted with each care would surely
reject all unreasonable bills, and the
overseer would be compelled to act
wisely and honestly.
Moreover, most of the poverty origi
mates in the cities, and is the direc
and inevitable result of city customs
and conditions. The city being re
sponsible tor the existence of the
poverty should surely bear the eX
pense of relieving it. 1t is entirely un
just to shift any part of this expense
upon the country towns. If each town
ship cares for its own the burden re
mains where it rightfully belongs.
The adoption of the last plan will
relieve the county of it's heaviest bun
den. the first will distribute the finan
cial returns of the liquor traffic a
widely as the consequences of tn
traffic are distributed Both plans ar
simply just They will be. adopte
whenever the enlightened moral ser
timent of the people shall so decree
They will be opposed by those larg
taxpayers IN the cities who place thei
individual concerns above the publ
= welfare, by corporate interests VIII
hope by juggling with questions of ia!
n alton to divert attention from the
N own 'misdeeds, and by liquor manufa
HI turers and dc alers who may fear an
n possible injury to their business. W
- love the plan for the enemies it ha
~ made.
Il 81 The inheritance tax as favored ais
u by the supervisors rests upon som
y what different basis. 1t might be a
q right to authorize a county to levy
small tax upon inheritapces, but a ia
= upon inheritances to amount to an
N thing must not be small. and must |
g graded in proportion to the size of ii
q inheritance. A large estate which tn
- tax is intended to reach is drawn fro
"a a large number of people and from
wide extent of territory. The tax pr
poses to return some of this to tt
u sources whence 1t came, and this pu
i pose would be defeated If count
= should collect the tax. Different rat'
n would be adopted, and thus irregulal
n ties and injustice would arise. TT
n inheritance tax must be collected
y the state, and IL occasion should ari'
- some of it might be refunded or di