The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-12-14

law. whereby the excise board, When
an estimate is certified to it for the
necessary current expenses, is gong
to determine whether or not such es-
innate is excessive To Illustrate: A
school district makes out its esti-
mate for current expenses, in which
it estimates that it will need $500 for
teachers. $25 for repairs, S. for IL
brary. SIS for fuel, $40 for supplies,
how. under the present law, is the
excise board to determine tnat such
estimate is unnecessary or excessive
lhe district boards are composed oil
men elected by the people OF the DIS
trict, the same as you and the indlv-
dual members OF this board, and are
sworn to perform their duties accord
ing to law, and are required to meet
on the first Monday in July, and make
out their itemiZed statement OF the
fiscal condition of such district, and
Iof the estimated needs for current
Expenses and certify the same to the
county excise boards, and, If you Will
take the time to read the excise law,
you will observe this to be one oi
their duties. What authority or right
has the excise board to say that these
boards preiurcd themselves in max
ing these estimates, or they they
were not familiar with the condition
or needs of such district And, after
you have famiiiarized yourself with
the excise law, please point out a
metnod whereby the excise board
could enforce a further divulgence u
the conditions OF such district The
presumption always has been that a
public officer will perform MS duties
according to law.
on say. governor, that your letter
was written in the hope that where
it was possible. "In the Interpretation
of the law where there is a doubt in
your mind iet me urge that tnat
doubt be resolved in favor of the tax
payer" We recognize the old princl'
pie of shifting political responsibili-
ties, by the man ''higher up to the
shoulders of others, but we resent IT'S
application in this instance.
Can you say when your board maue
a horizontal raise Of ten per cent on
farm property, twenty-five per cent on
city property one hundrtd per cent
on merchandise, and one hundred SIX
ty-four and quarter per cent on .au-
tomobiles. in Canadian county. that
ALL DOUBT WAS RESOLVED IN
FAVOR OF THE TAXPAYDR? WIen
a farmer of this county listed his
farm with the assessor at s5,O0000
and swore that that was its fair cash
value. did your board resolve the
doubt in his favor when it raised the
valuation of his farm ten per cent?
Let me inquire; How did your board
know lat his farm was worth S95V9
instead OF $4,000, the amount he swore
it was worth, and especially when not
q member of your board ever saw his
farm or knew it's location -
Again, let me inquire: BY what
line of reasoning did your board de-
termine that the county board OF
equalization composed Of the board Of
county commissioners of this county,
was not familiar with the values OF
the county and that your board was
OF superior ability to deter
mine The value of such property af-
ter it hRu been equalized by ne
county beard in determining that
che county equalization board was
mistaken as to the values in this
county did the board over which you
have the honor to preside RESOLVE