The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-30
AMENDMENTS ADOPTED.

ing, exclusively, the vote of the people
at the recent election on the constitu-
tional amendments. There were four
propositions before the people, and i've
voted upon. The fifth, however, was
the segregation made by the Secretary
of State of the proposals to amend sec
tions . and of Article 10 discussed
elsewhere.
Proposition No. / amending section
7, Article 13, to continue the State TAX
rate of eight mills up to a valuation OF
S4O0 900 900 in place of 5000, 0,OO0,Ooo as
heretofore. carried by vote OF 2o,oeo
in favor to 1919 against. A very de-
cisive vote on the small number cast
in favor of the continuation OF the
high tax rate. This OF course will en-
courage the State grafters to spend
more freely than ever before.
The second proposition, to amend sec
tion 9 of Article 10, making mgh
schools part of the school system, car
ried by a vote of 1914 for to ot'o
against The connected proposition Tor
the distribution OF money to high
schools carried by vote of 1888 for
to 6229 against. 1t was lucky-tor
somebody-that both of these proposl
tions were acted upon in the same way
by the voters.
The fourth proposition, to amend sec
tion /, Article IA, raises the limitation
of debt that may be incurred by the
State from the present restriction OF
5000 600 above the Territorial indebt
erdncss assumed by the State. TO sid
inc scale that may increase the debt
according as the State Board of Equal
ization can induce the county asses
sors to swell the assessment rolls
There is great opportunity here Tor
graft and for running in debt, but the
people want it, and doubtless they Will
get it. The voto on this amendment was
l0,6ll for to 65s2 against; a. very de
cisive majority considering the meager
vote cast.
The fifth proposition was to amend
section of Article Ia, allowing an in
crease of the existing Indebtedness IN
counties. cities, towns and school dis
tricts. The present limitation is two
per cent in counties and four per cent
in cities. towns and school districts
The amendment strikes out the word
Clowns from the second proviso of
the section Of the constitution, leaving
cities alone limited TO four per cent,
and allows any city of the third class,
or town, to reach an Indebtedness Of
eight per cent additional-evidently de
signed TO meet some towns particu'
lar case The vote on this amendment
was 10,ols for to 5652 against
And so we have the whole string OF
amendments adopted by a vote so light
as to be hardly appreciablc, and yet, no
matter how light the vote is, the vote
of the majority of the electors voting
thereon prevails 1t is different. how
ever, in case of proposal for new
convention submitted to
the people In that case a majority of
all the electors voting at such election
is necessary to carry the proposition.
1t would seem as though a majority of
all the electors voting might we'll have
been required also in case of a pro-
posed constitutional amendment For
here we have amendments adopted by
as low vote as scarcely more than
one-seventh Of the voters voting at the
election, the total vote for Representa-
tive in Congress being 100, ,233 and the
vote on the limit of indebtedness of
towns and cities of the third class to-
tailed only 1850. a vote so ridiculously
small as to seem absurd in having the
effect TO amend the constitution of the
State: l0.01S votes carried this amend.
ment while l02,233 voters voted at the
election. Surely this is a contemptibly
light vote to carry even a light amend
ment-a mere shadow To change a mat.
ter of substance