The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1911-06-15


sessed at 50 per cent and another
alongside him at 80 per cent, without
either party or the assessor himself be-
ing aware Of the discrimination
Now, each county must necessarily
contribute its just proportion toward
the maintenance Of the state govern
ment, and must also raise by taxation
a sufficient fund for the support Of coun-
~ or local government. When the as
sessed valuations are low the tax rate
must be high in order to raise this
amount, and when the valuations are
high the tax rate viii be cores
pondingly low. A low valuation and
high rate are the cause Of all the in
equaiities, injustice and favoritism
heretofore mentioned, and in addition
discourage much needed capital from
coming into our new state; for the first
question would-be investor puts to
you is, "What is the rate Of taxation
in Idaho?" And,when you tell him it
is all the way from three to six and one
half per cent, he moves on.
Governor Brady recognized the utter
meanness and injustice of this wild
competition for low assessments and
feeling that something should be done
to put an end to it, called convention
Of the county commissioners of the state
to meet in Boise on the 18th day Of Dec
1909, for the purpose Of deyising means
Of improving our present tax system.
The only definite action taken by
this convention was the selection Of a
sub committee to Investigate and make
a report to the governor and the next
Legislature. The committee was com
composed Of Governor Brady, Attorney
General McDougal, and State Auditor
5. D. Taylor, together with the follow
ing three county commissioners: Rob
ertson Of Washington county, Hart Of
Lincoln county and Bell Of Bonner co.
State Auditor Taylor in his report Gov
ering the two years ending Sept. Both,
1910, assures us that the committee has
given the subject much attention and Sc
cured a great deal Of valuable intorma
ton, which is rendered to any legis-
lative committee or public official hav-
ing occasion to consider the subject.
Now was member of the commit
tee on Revenue and Taxation during the
last session Of the legislature and the
most important matter before that com
mittee was the above metioned report
or rather lack Of it. For although Mr..
Robertson, who acted as the spokes.
man Of the Brady committee, was called
before our legislative committee on.
Revenue and Taxation, he had no re-
port to submit and no information to
give US, but instead of a report, intro.
duced an almost verbatim copy of the
Wyoming Tax Commission Law, which
was fathered by Mr.. Farmin, the
chairman OF the committee on Revenue
and Taxation. No other information
or report was ever furnished to our
committee or the legislature. This
bill, known as House Bill No. 10S, be-
came quite notorious during the legis-
Lative session just closed. Sec. 5of
this bill contained twenty different
provisions or subdivisions granting ar
bitrary and despotic, as well as un-
constitutional powers. to the tax com
missiouers for which the bill provided
The first subdivision Of this section
reads; 1T shall be the duty Of the
commissioner and he shall have power
and authority: To have and exercise
general supervision over the admins
tration Of all assessment and tax laws,
over all county, town and city tax, as
SCISSORS and board of equalization, levy
and assessment, to the end that all
assessments of property, real, personal,
and mixed, be relatively just and uni
form, and at its TRUE AND FULL
CASr1 NT r,nrr.,D