Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1912-12-20


enterprises themselves shall have been
concluded. L. to postpone the determi-
nation Of the question to time when
monopolies, thoroughly entrenched In
power and established a. political
factors. win be Of immense influence
In party and political organisation. It
IL much better to create the tribunal
before the enterprise Is commenced
than to attempt It after the enterprise
il completed. for then comes the long
struggle between the entrenched
power OF capital and the people a. to
the creation Of fair tribunal for the
purpose Of settling the matters In DIFF
ference between them.
Recently an officer OF q corporation
which, possibly, controls moro electric
enterprises than any other similar cor
poration In the country, informed me
that his experience was that he would
rather operate in states which had fair
public utility commissions already
created than to operate in states where
that question was left to tho future;
for, he said, when the people were
satisfied that fair tribunal existed
for the purpose OF settling differences,
there would not be any political agi-
tation upon the subject, whereas, II
the creation Of such a tribunal was
postponed the whole matter would be
one OF constant political unrest, dur
ing which the corporation would be
either compelled to slow up its enter
prise or exercise every energy and
power to prevent any action upon the
subject, lest such action might be de-
structive Of property rights.
I know that there are many well-in-
tanfinnn6 In do M III
we should take no action upon this
subject until these enterprises have
been encouraged to come within the
state and are completed; and they
take this view, claiming that the
creation of such O tribunal would itself
be an impairment Of enterprise. I do
not accept this view. It Is much bet
ter to give capitalistic enterprises fair
notice Of the restrictions and the regu-
lations which will be imposed upon
them; and such action is much more
likely to inspire confidence than lying
in wait for fool-hardy capital until It
has made it's investment and then
bouncing upon 1t by hostile legisla-
ton.
Tax Limit
Some years ago 1t was my honor and
means committee of the senate regard
ing a Limitation upon the taxation of
the various counties and a gradual and
progressive reduction in existing tax
rates. Some variation has been made
in the legislation that was then
adopted tending toward a less rapid
reduction than was then contemplated.
The general effect, however, Of that
legislation has been to reduce the tax
rate in the various counties and at the
same time to produce a gradual equal
tzation OF assessment; for when q
county finds that under q limited tax
rate it is necessary to raise the assess
ment, the result is that the assessor
looks out for every new source of
revenue, and this process tends not to
increase assessments already fair, but
to increase the assessments OF those
who. possessing large properties and
interests, have been able to secure a
lower assessment than In just. I think
It would be we'll to look into this oues-
ton carefully, with the aid of the
county officials, and improve upon the
system OF gradually and progressively
reducing the tax rate. already inaue-
urated. We all know how beneficial
such q movement would be In promot-
Ing settlement and the investment of
capital in our state, for there is MOTH
Ing that the new settler or the man of
enterprise fears more than high taxes
with possibility Of constant increase
through system Of favoritism as be-
tween those assessed and as between
the counties assessed.
Municipal Accounting
The matter Of municipal accounting
Is now attracting the attention of
thinking men throughout the country,
and In this Ia included not only the ac-
counting Of cities and towns, but of
counties. There Is a national conven-
ton OF accountants that meets every
year for the purpose Of considering
these questions, and already much
progress has been made upon lines of
recommendation which have been ac-
copied by the most advanced munich
palities. The idea has been to stinu-
late not only the keeping Of clear ac-
counts, but Of comparative accounts.
such as are kept by the great CORPORA
tons where different branches of work
and different plants are put into COM
petition with each other through a
system Of comparative accounting. It
has been found that this has stimu-
lated efficiency and economy in adj
ministratlon everywhere, and the aim
OF reformers in municipal accounting
Is to pursue these excellent lines that
have been followed by the corpora
lions. This matter was considered by
the ways and means committee of tho
state senate at the conference to which
have referred, and the result was
that a bill was framed which provided
for diminishing the tax rate in the
counties and municipalities, and also
for q state examiner whose duty IL
would be to go to the various counties
and cities in the state to advise with
the county officials and to bring them
into q harmonious system OF account
ing. Accompanying this provision was
made for the publication Of O state
comptrollers' report OF the comparative
accounts Of the various counties and
municipalities, with the view to bring
Ing about the comparisons to which I
have referred.
Sometime ago the legislature, with
out abolishing the office Of state ex-
aminer, discontinued the salary, and
the office OF state bullion tax collector
was substituted. To this office has
been added that OF state auditor, whose
duties may, perhaps, cover the same
ground that Is covered by the law re-.
garding the state examiner.
would suggest that you open I'M
COrregDOndenpo with tba oTfot.1. -