The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1911-09-14


Nampa, which scores the Daily
Statesman for its unjust and partisan
attacks upon Governor Hawley. anC
so plainly sets forth the facts as t
cash value assessments that it is
worthy of general perusal. It is as
follows:
Evening Capital Nevs.-No one
with a grain of common sense will
deny that Governor Hawley's plan
of assessing the property of
the state at its actual cash value
embodies the correct principle. It
is true that better foundation might
have been laid by the legislature for
putting the Law in operation by
amendments to the Law in regard to
"fxed levies." However in consid-
ering this matter it must be borne
in mind that the Law requiring that
property be assessed at its actual
cash value has been on the statutes
of the state for years as wsll as the
law relating to fixed levies." The
cash value Law had been universally
violated and reform vas necessary.
The reform, as a matter of course,
must start at the initial Law in taxa
ton, which is the valuation of prop
erty. To claim that the s6xsd
levy provisions of the Law we're
mandatory to such an extent that
the officers having the power to fix
levies could not reduce the levy to a
point where it would raise only the
amount of money needed for the
purpose for which it is raised is alb
surd, and the contention of the Daily
Statesman on this point has made
that paper appear ridiculous, and
its antics on this whole tax question
have furnished an object lesson as
to what an extent paper can go in
an effort to make political capital
out of a business proposition that ek-
fects all the people. If the Statesman
only succeeded in making an ass of
itself in this matter, which it GER
tainly has done, no one would COM
plain, but in its frenzy it has in ev-
cry way possible stirred up animos-
tiles and controversy that may be
the direct means of involving the
state and counties in expensive liti-
cation and endless annoyance,
Let US suppose that the property
in the state had for years been as
sessed at cash value, and that on
that basis fixed 1evies for various
purposes had been prescribed by
Law which would raise the amount
required for such purposes. Then
let US make the natural supposition
that the taxable property in Idaho
had doubled in value in S or 10
years, during which time no change
had been made in the tax laws. The
ixed levies would then produce
more money than needed. Would !
he situation be met by violating the
ash value lawl Certainly not. The
COMMON sense way would be to re-
luce the so-called ''6xed levies," as
MS could be done without violating
be spirit of the law, for the Law vas Il
Intended to raise the money needed
or certain purposes and no more. y
The Statesman has several times 3
tated if the fixed levies we're low =
red taxpayers would contest the le- |.
atty of the levyl The Statesman, .
4 making such statements, placed
DIV estimate on the intelligence of ~
IS readers as well as the taxpayers, q,
Or who ever heard of a taxpayer q
his tax bill because it q
vas too low ..
The Statesman's big argument ;,
gainst cash value assessment, by n
'hich it has been trying to convince
ne rancher that he Sas to be put =,
ut of business by the new system Q,
{ taxation, has been that the rail-
bad and corporation assessments
ould not be raised 10 the same pro- =
ortion as other property. Now p
lat the state board Of equalization 6
as raised the assessment on the =
ain lines of the railroads from ~
ID, 500 to 500, 900 per mile the