The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-19
THE SAME EVERYWHERE.

The San Francisco Chronicle touche
upon a matter of nationwide concern
and which is under discussion here, il
the following editorial paragraph:
An the speakers OF the National Mu
J ntcipal League. In session at Los An
? gcles. have a great deal TO say abou
good government and the mode os get
Y ung ~, but none OF them dwells wiz
! Particular emphasis on the cesirabilit,
OF keeping down taxes. which. after all
is the thing the governed care most t'
! have accomplished.
The fact is that those engaged in
municipal reforms of various kinds ap.
! pear to be more concerned about the
form OF municipal government than
the results. We hear numerous and
prolonged arguments about the benefi.
eial effects of various forms of com.
missions. of municipal reforms brought
about by changes from one form OF
municipal government TO another, either
by way Of commissions Of five, or three
or one-msn managers, but in all OF them
the question Of reducing taxation is
mainly ignored. and pleas for the re.
lief of the taxpayer are seldom heard
On last Sunday we spoke of the
declaration OF Governor Spry of this
State in favor of increasing the vaua-
tions on the assessment rolls of the
various counties, His idea, expressing
a perfectly sound theory, was that when
the valuations on the assessment rolls
are largely increased, the rate of tax
levy can be reduced. corresponding to
the increase OF the assessment roll valu.
alton.
We pointed out. however. and that
is the general fact. that the difficulty
about this is that the reduction in the
tax levy does not follow the increase
in the assessment rolls. We have had
a period of years in Utah where the
State tax roll is very largely increased
in the aggregate, and this increase is
also in the various counties. For some
years there has been an annual fight
between the State authorities and the
county authorities where the State
urged an increase in valuation, and in
arge degree obtained this increase But
there has been no corresponding tax
in fact. no reduction nt all,
N the rate of tax levy anywhere save
,nly in Salt Lake city, where the
American administration last wear made
reduction of > mills in the levy, put |
ing the city tax rate down from 10 to
3 mills on the dollar. This good ex
nipple was nowhere else followed. 1t |
s not followed this year, in spite of |
Governor Spry's academic orinion; on |
he contrary, we see the county com
increase in the tax rate
ver that of last year in order to meet |
he small amount Of $4,000 for exhibit
ne the products and industries Of the
ounty at the Transmississippi and
irrigation Congresses and the State
air. The raise is so trifling as TO be
idiculous, and vet IL was made in nd-
ition TO the other tax levy, end in
pite of the fact that the organ of the
ederal bunch has recently given forth
statement to the public that the
ounty finances are in overflowing con-
ition, meaning that the county does
OF need to levy as high taxes as the
are levying.
There is no doubt but that the tax
wv here could be reduced without in
Try to the public service. We were
I'D also that when Salt Lake City
otained the commission form of gov
the expenses would be largely ,
'duced. and that the tax levy would ,
, lowered still further from what il
as last year We do not see any
gns of this. however, nor of the Salt
AXE City school district, nor Of the
ate, abating even small fraction
the highest rate OF levy allowed by j,
e law, even though the valuations on
lie assessment roll are enormously
yelled
So that the theory, which seems so i,
ausible on paper. that an increase y,
valuation on the assessment roll, will !,
sd to a reduction in the rate of tax
w, altogether fails when practically
,plied. The act of the much. .decried
mericau city administration is the !,
Ily actual example Of the theory as :.
opounded