The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1910-05-26


Owyhee dear, Owyhee dear,
There's music in the sleighbells' ring,
Owyhee dear, Owyhee dear,
We love on skis or sleds to 60
Adown thy sleeps all white with snow,
And snowballs, too, we love to throw.
Owyhee dear, Owyhee dear.
Here freedom reigns without fear,
Owyhee dear, Owyhee dear,
Nor pomp nor wealth is tyrant here,
Owyhee dear, Owyhee dear,
Here every home welcome shows,
Where'er the honored stranger goes,
In ev'ry heart true friendship glows,
Owyhee dear, Owyhee dear.
Hon. Dow Dunnins on Taxation.
After the song, Hon. Dow Dunning,
our able representative, was introduced
with the subject, Taxation" He han
died the subject in way that showed
him to be we'll informed on matters OF
political economy and especially in its
relation to the subject OF taxation He
spoke of the origin of our general prop
erty tax and OF our present system Of
apportionment Of revenue for state pur-
poses against the several counties in pro-
portion to the assessed valuation OF tile
property in each county; that this sys-
tenn was similar to the method Of raising
The revenue necessary for the support Of
a. ,4;4,,,l ,,,t q, b al, uae ,,seJ
at the close Of the revolutionary war,
when the sum for national purposes was
apportioned against each Of the states in
manner similar to our method of APP
portioning the amount for state purposes
to our various counties and that our
whole system OF taxation, and division
for state purposes, had been handed
down to us from the eastern states and
California. An examination OF the re-
suit OF these laws reveals many defects
and inequalities. They are not such
laws as will secure Just and uniform
distribution of the burdens Of taxation
for the support ofour public institutions.
An almost universal sentiment in favor
of the reform of these laws has been ap-
parent for many years; but the efforts
at reform have not been adequate noi in
the right direction. The assessors had
held many meetings, but had been un-
able to accomplish much on account oI
the peculiar provisions Of our tax laws.
They finally compromised by agreeing
to assess all the property of the state at
40 per cent of it's cash value. The re-
suit is that some men are assessed at 4C
per cent, some at go per cent, and some
perhaps at 20 per cent, while the major
ty of the real estate in our towns and
cities is assessed at II per cent or less
! of its cash value, and there is necessarily
and very naturally great competition
; among all Of the assessors of the state tC
reduce the assessment OF each county tC
minimum, instead Of the full cash val
ue as required by law and decreed by
the supreme court of our state last fall
Under a cash value assessment, the rate
would be less than a cent instead OF ou
present three cent rate, and the burder
would be more equitably distributed
The amount of the revenue raised woulC
be exactly the same. The reason of al
this competition among assessors for
low assessment and high rate was that
the lower our assessment, the less ou
county under our present law, would b
{ compelled to contribute to the fund TO
state purposes To remedy this defect
Mr.. Dunning proposed complete di
vorce of state from county taxation b
: apportioning the amount for state pur
poses to each county according to tn
total expenditures of each county for th
previous year, and at the same time b
raising a good part Of the revenue fo
state purposes from special taxes, sue
: as taxes on corporations, taxes on in
heritances and certain licenses. But h
favored the plan of raising at least
part OF the revenue for state purpose
by apportionment among the countie
according TO expenditure, in order t
bring home to each taxpayer all extravs
gances of the legislature, and said thi
would make the system more elastic
He pointed out hat such system of al
portionment had been adopted in ou
sister state of Oregon and was being az
vocated in many states. This pla
would abolish entirely the state boar
of equalization whose decisions are al
to be controlled by the sheep interest
/, the cattle interests, or the great corp
rations. all depending npon which
these interests controlled the board.