The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1911-01-19
TAX LEGISLATION


tsAH Fdiuhlipu VI the piDPtA " a.
sessed. Now We all know this law
Is being violated by every assessor
ia the state An assessor with
properly profound regard for the
financial interests OF the people OF
mis- county, assesses the property OF
that county on the basis OF so per
cent OF the actual cash yaluat on.
Some other asse ssor without the
N'properly profound regard for the
law OF his state, and with an abnor'
NAL regard for the financial In err
eats Of the people OF his county" fixsi
rs per cent Tor the bas's. IL IL easy
10 figure out from this that some
counties pay more and some less
than they should pay. Then they ar
range a ms ting at Boise TO p an uni-
form methods OF "euehering" each
others Ia the assessments FOR the com
,ng year What We need II man
This Is not saying that our ass ssOis
are not men They are. What we
need Ia man who Is wi ling
81 take the lead II one Assessor In
Idaho. next year, would carry ouI
the law 10 the letter. he would be
hailed as benefactor 20 the whole
state. lie might not be alive 10 real
lac IL. and he would probably be
about as dead politically in his coun
~, as men ever gets. But the In
ovation would probably result In
some other assessor conforming 20
the letter OF the law. and at any
rate the noise that would be raised
ln the one county would be heard
IN every corner OF the state OF Idaho
Until such man arises, the eastern
man who contemplates moving west,
win read IN theldaho statutes that
he basis of taxation Is the actual
cash valuation Then he will look n
up the rate OF taxation, which, for
propfrty IN the city OF Moscow hap
pens to be asa mills on the dollar.
this year lie VIII figure according
10 this that the taxes on $1,000 worth
II property would be s6S.5O. whel
AZ a matter OF fact il Is only about
OF that amount. not un- !
our pecu lar disregard =
or the law In this respect. he fig :
tres IL out that he would rather live .
n Washington or Oregon. or Mis-
'ouri. or the Fill Islands or most
anywhere else. =" II,
The above from the Moscow Post e
8 mighty poor advice. II Idaho IL ;
o have tax reform. II win not be
secured by any such makeshlfts as
he Post advocates From all over II
he state come appeals for relief ,
rom the present system. and Cover o
ior Hawley emphasized the necessity q
n his message, u
What Is needed Is law that will 81
make Il mandatory upon every as :,
essor I'm the state to not only find n
very piece OF real or personal prop N
rty within his Jurisdiction. but to n
ssess II az It's actual cash value. o,
he penalty for failure 20 do this h,
hould carry with Il removal from ;,
ffiee and a jail sentence. nj
The law should be equally severe IN
pom the property owners who fails q
, give IN ALL his property or Sc,
wears falsely as 90 its value The m
w shoald be so stringent that no III
SCISSOR would dare to favor any lo- IN
Atty. no matter how remote. or a,
ny Individual no matter how in
uential or wealthy n,
The assessment In this county for II
lie last half dozen years and we ~,
ont know how much longer has m
zen fearfully and wonderfully made az
here are instances Of two pieces or
city property, lying side by side. 81,
I'D having practically the same
cne being assessed at
sloe the amount of the other We
now OF vacant lots, held by specu-
tors. whose owners have refused
'fers running into the thousands
dollars which are assessed at
inns running anywhere from $40
$500. We also know of hard
orking men, who by strict eeono-
Y have built small home and i'm
owed their two or three lots, who
W on a valuation of from $500
s10OO--actual cash value in many
stances. There is something rad
ally wrong with the present system
Id it needs fixing badly.
The recommendation of the State
,ess association, which has for its
,ject the publication of the assess
ent roll of each county in it's own
unity papers, will go a long way
wards curing some of the evils.
and dishonesty cal
more stand publicity than can
e germs of disease stand sunlight.
INCOME TAX RATIFICATION.