The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1911-11-24

In its last issue the Weiser Ameri-
can defends the direct primary, Gov
ernor Hawley and his tax ideas and
the Idaho weather. OF the weather
the American says:
Having been a resident of southern
Idaho nearly eight years the writer
desires to testify to its fine climate.
In all this time there has come to this
section but one bad storm, and that
can only be said to be bad in COM
parison with the weather at all other
times. In the prairie states or in the
Mississippi valley such storm as this
one was, would have created no no
tice or comment because of it's short
duration and mildness. Come to Wei
ser and be happy.
The same newspaper also contains
the following valuable bit of infor-
nation:
A very rich joke on the Republican
gubernatorial candidates comes to
light in the state press this week. 1t
appears that at the recent gathering
in Boise one jimmy Stotts was en-
ployed to manage press bureau and
sent to the Spirit Lake Office OF
Chairman Charles L. Hoffman. We'll
the literary bureau is now at work
and is becoming Hoffman for gov
ernor! Surely the state chairman has
put one over on Morrison, Taylor,
Clagstone, ct al.
Latah county has a real genuine
tax muddle on hand says the Moscow
Star-Mirror. Speaking of the situa-
ton editorially the Moscow paper
says:
Latah county has placed itself in
position to get into the biggest tax
muddle ever enjoyed by any county
since time begun. The supreme CURT
has held the law fixing FIVE mills as
the minimum for school purposes to be
constitutional. That settles the law.
10 ignore this law, as for example,
levy of three mills, is violation of
law, and illegal. Under an illegal
assessment can the county collect de-
llnquent taxes? If it can't then what?
Again, suppose somebody starts suit
to compel the board to comply with
the law? Well, the board must COM
ply. There is no question about this.
And then what? The county has al
ready accepted thousands of dollars of
taxes on the basis of a three-mill
school tax. 1t cannot, We believe, 90
back OF its tax receipts, and therefore
could not collect the extra two mills.
Lastly, able attorneys advise the
Star Mirror that each member of the
county board is now open for prose-
ccution for malfeasance in office. Nal
teasance in Office is a wilful violation
OF law by public officer. The penalty
is fine of $500 and dismissal from
office.
The whole thing comes from a de-
sire on the part of the commits sioners
to do the best possible by the tax
payers under conditions existing at
the time. The intention was good. |
but subsequent events would indicate
that a safer policy would have been
to follow the law.
And thus it goes with Governor
Hawley's cash valuation scheme. Ida
hos Democratic chief executive has
certainly been wonder. Heaven
alone knows what the expense will
ultimately be to the taxpayers of this
state. Every county is to a more or |
less extent afflicted as is Latah. But
then Joe Rich is immigration COM
missioner. That will help some.
One of the hardest things the peo-
pie OF the Boise valley have to do is
to keep track of the owners of their
electric railways. One dav the
kuhns own everything in sight; the
next the Mainlands have corralled the
lines; the third Pierce still owns the
Boise & Interurban and Noble the
Boise Valley. The Tribune has no in
side information but it does look as
though there has been considerable
negotiation and sparring over the
electric power proposition in the
Boise valley. The ultimate result is
not known but it is reasonable to as
sumo that the future has railway
building in store for this section of
the state.
Hot Lake San;+or;,,r.