The Green Forest tribune., 1909-10-29
THE TAX DODGER
Time Article by a Eureka
 Springs Writer

In a recent issue of the Eureka Springs Flashlight appeared the following timely article contri- buted by party signing himself "Honest Tax Payer:''
 A taxpayer was overheard the other day raising sand with a member of the Board of Equalization because the assessment given to the assessor by said taxpayer had been increased from $200 to $500. The taxpayer seemed to look upon the boards action as piece of spite work, rather than to think the citizens composing the board were acting in accordance with their sworn duty. This will seem strange when it is known that this taxpayer owns nice well-located cottage of five rooms, all very nicely furnished. If the board made any mistake at all it was in not raising the assessment to eight hundred or thousand dollars.
 Not more than one person in ten, perhaps not that many, pay as much taxes as they ought to pay. People will lie about the amount of their prop erty and will swindle and fraud the State, or corporation, who are other wise perfectly honest in all their deal ings with men. That is just one of the peculiarities of human nature-that is of some human natures.
 But that is not what l started to write about. It is this: There is no state, county, or city tn at gets half of the tax money that is It's just due, simply be- cause taxpayers will not list their property at it's real value. I have be- fore me as I write a printed letter sent out by the State Tax Commission, in which, in defining it's duties, it says: "To see that all valuations are equaiz- ed, to the end that the property of every man shall bear it's just share of the burdens of taxation" The very fact that the last Legislature saw fit to create the Tax Commission is proof that the taxpayers all over the State are not assessing the property at It's proper, or real valuation; that the State. through the cupidity of its taxpayers, was not getting it's just share of tax money.
 The letter above referred to says further that investigations as far as made "have developed the existence of situation, as relates to assessments for previous years, that is simply ab- surd.'
 It is matter of serious regret to every one who desires to deal honestly and to speak the truth to his neighbor to be compelled to live under system that puts premium upon perjury; but, however deplorable such a condition may be, it is nevertheless a fact that the taxing system of our country stands indicted of this felonious charge. That the present system has continued so long can be accounted for only upon the hypothesis that the people are either ignorant of better system or that the major part of them are dis honest and untruthful.
 Every government has it's legitimate expenses and to these every beneficiary | of the government should contribute in 1 proportion 10 his means, but since the experlence of the ages has established the fact that the selfish principal in man preve its him from dealing honest ly, It Is the duty of those entrusted With the machinery of government to enact and enforce laws chat will guar antee equal justice to all, dissider- alum easily attained if capable, honest and wise officials from among those | advanced in the science of right and who understand the economical, social and industrial conditions of the country are selected; but so long as the law enactlng and enforcing representative are elected from the ranks of the medI- ocre and the unlearned just so long Will the people groan under an unjust and inequitaDle system, and "Honest Tax Payero will get very lonesome and pay more than his proportion of the taxes while his neighbors are climbing to his exalted pedestal.