Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1912-05-31
AxAIl!OlN | IN MINNfSOIA



PuB1io ATTITUDE TOWARD
81 .,sz TAXATION
Vp. ste a.comp mparatively recent pslsuaz pan u
tAxessWere regarded by most peoiplo 81
s. 1 necessary evil. The old pro1erb -
nothing is: certain but taxes -
death oppressed the public view. -
attitude Of the public mind was IN nax.f
ct least an Inheritance from the dayw
when taxes were a tribute laid =
rulers on their subjects. Little attenf;e22I q
was given to the manner in which aueR
taxes were levied, or the rules eoyern-
ing equality Of contribution. Ofta.
the people received but little in retun
for their money, and Of course, trisd
to pay just as little as possible.
Today, however, taxes are levied ana
collected for public purposes and nut
for private gain. They are not now 1s
garded as tribute, but as a reason
able and just contribution from thcss
enjoying the benefits and protection af
organized society, called government.
to enable it to do certain things fcr
the welfare Of all the people that Is
left for each citizen to do himself would
be more expensive and less effective
While the ''tax dodger' is still with
US the average citizen is now willing
to pay his: just proportion Of the ooef
of government, feeling that the money
SO paid is, generally speaking, wisely
and judiciously spent in promoting fhe
public welfare. He realizes the valus
and importance of good schools, Of good
roads, Of fire protection, Of health ana
sanitation, of courts and public Of
ficers for the administration and en-
forcement of law and order, and Of the
many other things now required ii
government by enlightened and pre-
gressive nations.
In the report Of the tax commission
of 1910 there is a very interesting
study. of the cost of government made
by Prof. Hess, then of. the State Uni
versity. Taking the expenditures un-
der appropriate heads and the popula-
tion, he derives from them the per c4p-
ita cost Of the. administration Of the
state and it's minor divisions. He found
that it cost $20.92 for each man, NO.
man and child in the state, or $104.6e
for a household of five persons.
The largest item in the classified I&
Of public expenses is that Of education,
amounting to about 40 per cent Of the
gross expenditures. The total number
Of pupils attending the public schools
in 1910 was 440, ,0S3 and the gross sum
expended in that year for teachee5'
salaries and other educational expenses
amounted to $13, ,724,437. This repre-
ssnts an savefaRe cost of lib fo9Sedh
pupil attending the pubic schools N
that year.
= Minnesota early iii it's history took
an advanced position in educational
matters and for more than fifty years
it has steadily maintained that posi-
tion. It is justly proud Of it's splendid
school system. It has no apologies to
make for spending two-ffths Of IL
total revenues from taxation in the
cause of education, for it believes that
its Ii beral and progressive educationA
policy has contributed in no .smaN
measure to the present greatness of the
state:
People frequently complain of higa
CdASS du0 IssAh dS IL .IAC: OCAC4Eo AZ
ceived were not. equivalent to the
amount paid. Generally speaking, these
complaints are not well founded, While
taxes may be high in some districts, dus
to local conditions, as. . general prep
:osition the benefits Received !: are mt
only worth more but cost mere; than
the amount contributes in taxes by tho
average .citizen.;:;:.. y !.'sH :-s2 ,S2>
The cost alone of educating nme ehild
in the public schools isi one aad't ens-
half times as much as the tPer 'eapita
cost of>state aid: local governhent for
all purposes: If the cost Of the ether
benefits, we enjoy ais the fruits Of: tara
tion could be computed as accurately
as the cost Of education it would be
found that the average citizen pays
much less in taxes than it costs the
state to: provide him. with the advan-
tages and benefits we enjoy under OUT
system Of government: