The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-06-18

at will the law of the land, this mis-
take of the thirtieth legislature
should be fully corrected, and there
is no reason why members of the
legislature who voted for the Rob-
ertson law, as well as Gov. Camp
bell himself, should not be frank
and free enough to declare in favor
of the needful corrections.
so it Is with reference to the full
rendition bill. 1t Is great big mis-
take, just as the News has shown it
to be over and over again. Values
vary frequently and sometimes sud-
denly in Texas, just as they do in any
new country, and human nature is
rampant here as it is in other parts
of the world. The experience of po-
litical economists confirms fully the
contention that very low valuations
that possess the quality of perman-
ency or steadiness as far as practi-
cable, with power to regulate taxes
by changing the rate to suit the de-
mand for revenue, is the wisest and
most satisfactory scheme of all. No
citizen of any country would be will
ing to pay taxes on an assessment of
900 after the property had fallen
to half that value; but If the valua-
ton is fixed at so per cent, and the
property falls, there Is found no such
ground for popular complaint and
the resultant political uproar. 1t has
been tried, and what is the use to
discuss a question that has always
been settled in the same way?
rs it not quite enough to note
the present discomfort in Texas and
then to point to the fact that there
is not state in the union that has
been able to come up to full valua-
tons?
is it not enough to suggest that in
spite of the present law, there is not
a county in Texas that has come up
to full renditions? Illinois has the
lowest assessed valuation of any
state in the union, Is per cent, and
is the only state in the union that
has uniform rendition, except Rhode
Island, and the area of that state is
too small for comparison. New York
furnishes the other extreme, with an
i average assessed valuation of 80
| per cent, and the variation there is
from "a to 90 per cent The average
assessment of all states is 81 per
cent of the true value. In Texas the
average assessment is 40 per cent Of
true value.
Uniformity in valuations is the
policy to work up to, but it can new
er be achieved through the vision
airy full rendition scheme. The one
state in the union with uniformity
in valuations is Illinois, and the ba-
sis of valuation in that state is only
5 per cent.
"Other weak points or blowholes
in the work that has been done at
Austin could be pointed out, but
this article is not criticism. 1t is
rather a friendly comment or sug-
gestion, designed to have all mis-
takes fairly considered and correct
ed, and the ones referred to are
merely cited as examples. There is,
as far as the News can see no reason
why members of the legislature who
made the mistakes should not lead
in a movement to correct them, or
why Gov. Campbell in his campaign
speeches should not make it a point
to note the weak places in the diff
cult work that has been attempted
and declare frankly his purpose to
assist in their correction" 1l
1t is the right of every citizen to
criticise the mistakes Of the admins
! tration, and when those who make
mistakes, instead of joining in an
effort for their early correction I'M
dertake to convince an intelligent
people that there are no mistakes,
they can hardly be surprised that
mild criticism is changed to severe
rebuke. For many reasons the peo-
pie of Texas are made to feel the
evils of theoretical legislation
and the desire to get back to practi-
cal control and common sense gov
eminent is becoming more general
every day. Governor Campbell has
had many opportunities to signify an
inclination to correct evils that have
originated during his administration
but instead of doing this he has de-
nounced those who disagreed with his
policies and boldly contends that the
measures he stood for and which
were enacted into laws are all that
any people could desire. The News is
entirely too lenient in its criticism
Governor Campbell has been a dis
appointment to Texas, and it will
take years to overcome the injuries
resulting from laws passed by the
thirtieth legislature. AS the News