The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-01-16

, protested? Can a better argument be
, made in favor of a limitation upon the
taxing power of county and municipal
boards?
This record shows that in Bannock,
Bear Lake, Custer and Twin Falls
there has been a raise of approximate
ly As per cent in 1911 over 1910 for
state and county purposes. In Boise,
} Elmore and Lemhi the raise has been
between 80 and 35 per cent, while in
Canyon it has been 4S per cent. in
Kootenai Sc per cent over the 1910
assessment and 25 per cent over that
of 1909; in Latah So per cent and in
Blaine 81 per cent. In Washington
county we find that although Adams
county was this year taken from it's
former boundaries, still 80 per cent
more is raised this year from the re-
naming Territory than was raised in
the two counties in 1910, and trihe
more than in 1909; Oneida with raise
of Is per cent, Shoshone of % per
cent and Owyhee of 27 per cent make
a tolerably fair showing, while Ban
ner, Cassia and Idaho show practically
the same as heretofore and the raise
is no greater than the increase of
state expenses would warrant FIRE.
mont county shows $170,569 raised this
year as against $253,53O in 1909 and
S2OS,5S2 in 1910, and proves what
careful management will do for the
! taxpayers benefit. Nez Perez county,
| however, is only per cent less than
| in 1910, although it's territory was re-
duced and necessarily it's proper ex-
penses also by the counties of Clear
wear and Lewis having been created at
your regular session.
ialso at your late regular session, shows
an entirely different condition. The
levy for 1911 being nearly As per cent
less than in either 1909 or 1910, while
the new county of Bonneville exceeds
the 1911 amount collected in Bingham
by GA per cent.
The other new counties created last |
session make still more creditable |
showing, and it is a source of gratifica-
ton that in every county created by
you, although taxes would naturally
be high the first year, the rate is con-
slderably less than in the average of |
the older counties.
That there is something radically |
tax rate in the several counties for
state and county purposes to vary
from eight mills as it is in Fremont to
twenty-one and one-half mills as it is
in Lemhi, can hardly be questioned
AS the state tax is practically three
mills only, the fault cannot be charg-
ed to the state officers. 1t rests upon
the county and municipal authorities
alone although 1 regret to say some of
them have tried to convey different
impression. The need of proper re-
strictions Of the power to levy is
shown conclusive1y by these figures
The whole amount of taxes raised in
1911 for state and county purposes is 4
81 557,796 as against $3,286,557.7S in
1910 and $3,146, 0O3.17 in 1909 An in
crease of course was to be expected,
both because there was an additional
amount of over 100000 raised for
state purposes, and the cost of main
tanning some of the county govern
ments, especially the new countless
was increased, but there can be no
excuse given for an Increase of ST.
38 per cent.
This increase in the amount paid by {
the different counties is not, as will
be readily seen, due to the enforcement
therefor cannot be Iegitimately placed
upon the shoulders of myself or any
other state officer, but must rest where ,
it belongs, on the county and city auth
critics. This must have been evident
at all times to the newspapers and in s
dividuals who have given the subject I
any thought, and leads us to believe :
that those who have persistently !
charged the increase in amounts paid +
as taxes to the enforcement of the +
law, were, in so doing, either woeful- {
~ ignorant of the subject discussed or !
were Intentionally trying to deceive
the people. 1 do not refer of course
N this connection to the dismal !.
of those whose taxes have
he past year been greatly increased !
,or the sole reason that during the
years proceeding they had been of the {
favored few whose property was as
sessed at lower figures than that of
heir neighbors who thus imposed their
own tax burdens on the less fortunate
n the community who were thereby :
compelled to pay an excessive amount
The howlings of this class should