The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1911-03-24
APPEALS TO PEOPLE
Governor HaWley Asks For
Cooperation
IN FIXING CASH VALUES
The Chief Executive Determined
to Effect Reform.

| Governor James H. Hawley ha
issued statement to the people o
the state Of Idaho relative to tn,
taxation problems Of the state and
ohicially gives notice to the assessors
OF the state that they should do theil
duty and assess property at its full
cash value. The statement is as
follows:
To the people of the state of Idaho:
1.-The development of the state has
been heretofore retarded by the fact
that an excessive taxation rate has
frightened capitalists from invest
ments 10 enterprises sought to be
inaugurated and carried on in Idaho.
immigration to our state tas not
been 10 the same ratio as immigra.
tiOn to our sister states OF Oregon and
Washington, on account of our tax
rate being several hundred per cent
greater than the tax rates of the
states mentioned. The entire assess
ment roll Of this great state is now
$l27, 100000 only, sum that does
not represent the value of the IN
diYidual holdings of scores of citizens
Of the United States. The impression
has gone abroad, and will continue to
remain until the evil is remedied,
that property of different kinds in
Idaho Is very low in value and that
the tax rate is greater than in almost
any other state Ia the union. While
we have no extremely rich men, still
1t is fact that the aggregate wealth
of our state in proportion to its
population is greater than in most Of
our sister states, and the equal dis.
tributiOn of this wealth should make
US happy, prosperous and contented
community.
'The evils of low valuation and
high taxation had but one excuse for
their existence, that being the con-
stitutional provision permitting our
legislature to increase our bonded in
debtedness to II per cent OF the
assessed valuation of the state aud
thus enable vast permanent debt to
be entailed upon US should we be
afflicted with an improvident or care.
less legislature. This condition will
no longer exist after the next general
election, because the legislature at
its last session wisely adopted reso-
luton providing for the submission OF
constitutional amendment limiting
the amount of the bonded indebted
ness Of the state to be fixed figure.
This proposed amendment will un-
doubtedly be adopted by practically
a unanimous vote of our citizens. In
view of this, the state board Of equal.
ization has already met and insisted
that the evils complained of should
at once and in their entirety be
remedied, and that the laws of the
state, which explicitly declare that
all taxable property shall be assessed
at its real cash value, shall in the
future be strictly followed aud abso
lutely complied with. The board is
taking all possible measures to secure
full compliance with the law and
our course 10 this regard shall not be
deviated from In the slightest par
ticular, nor will exceptions be made
in favor of any locality or any branch
Of business.
"Tne strict enforcement Of the
hitherto ignored laws of the state de-
pends to a great extent upon the
county assessors, the boards OF county
commissioners and the prosecuting
attorneys OF the several counties. II
each and every one Of these officers
does his full duty, this great reform
will be inaugurated in its entirety
during the present year. Myself, as
governor, and the attorney general
and his assistants will strenuuusly
endeayor to have strict compliance
with the provisions of the law and
will exercise the civil and criminal
remedies provided for by statute for
its enforcement. / realize, however,
the difficult position that the county
officers mentioned, especially the
assessors, will be placed 10. Property