Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1912-09-19
TAXES TO Be LESS
Continued from Page 5.)

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bill had been Gut down
by me. in large amount it still show
ed $325,000 greater expenses to the
state in the biennial period Of 19l1-12
than that Of l9O9-1O, besides there was
an additional bonded Indebtedness pro-
vided for by the eleventh session of
the legislature which compelled the
payment of about $4,000 per year
additional interest for the past two
years. To put it in different way,
although there has been $425, 200 more
money needed for state purposes in
1911-12 than in 1909-10, till we find the
the tax rate for such purposes only
three mills in 1911 and six mills in 1912
under the forty per cent valuation for
taxation purposes as against seven and
eleven hundredths mills in. 1910. This
is showing that speaks well for the
state and for the administration Of our
revenue matters in the state.
"Our experts, Messrs. Robertson,
Purtill and Ramstedt, have done good
setice and have assisted US very ma
terially in our labors. My idea when
they were first employed was that they
should work together on all matters and
give us their united conclusions. Other
members of the board thought this was
impracticable on account of not enough
time intervening. We have found they
disagreed somewhat in the regard to
values on different kinds Of property,
and while we could equalize from the
statements Of each as to the county he
examined, it worked little confusion
when it came to comparing the results
of the labors of each with that of the
others. 8
"The further I have gone into this
question Of taxation the better am
satisfied that my idea in regard to q
non-partisan tax commission with full
power to act, appointed for long term
and not responsible to the appointing
power, is the proper salution for all tax
problems. Such q commission will Sc
cure proper solution uniformity thro.
ughout the state on different classes
Of property and it will be there bust
ness to ascertain values and to find out
property that is not on the assessment
roll and see that it is placed there. A
score Of other things that would come
within their purview and would in
crease the probabilities of q correct
assessment being reached could be
easily mentioned.
1--WE have placed upon the assess
ment roll this year q good deal Of pro-
perty that never before reached it. I
estimate that there is in Idaho at the
present time in the neighborhood of
500, 000, 900 of property that has never
paid dollar Of taxes. It win take a
good long while to reach all Of it but
tax commission can pay all expenses ten
times over each year for many years to
come by putting new property ON the
roll.
1.-THE worst feature Of our present
system and the one that has both
cred this board most 10 the absolute
injustice done by assessors and county
commissioners in some Of the counties.
For instance, we find fiat rates ON
certain kinds Of property in certain
places. In Boise county, for instance,
all timber lands were assessed ct $40
per acre when we know that the value
Of timber lands in that county varies
from a per acre to $40. The result has
been in that county that some Of the
taxpayers have paid an excess and
others not sufficient. This 10 beyond