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

amendments and a number of other
bills on revenue matters prepared by
the commission. These are all matters
requiring your earnest consideration. 1
do not wish it understood that in pre-
senting these bills | am advocating
their passage without change, as they
are handed to you in perfect form, but
with the expectation you will make
such necessary changes as may by a
majority be deemed advisable. The in
dependent bills, especially those III re-
gard to fixing levies and similar mat
ters, are mere suggestions. Some of
them in my judgment require radical
changes, especially so in the matter of
municipal limitation of Indebtedness,
as a distinction shuld be made in liza
bilities incurred for ordinary expenses
and those where the amount to be eX-
pended is for public utilities to he
owned by corporations.
1t is mooted question whether
constitutional amendment should not
be presented to the people, making pos
sible by future legislation the enact
ment of statutes permitting the tax
alton from railways and similar COR
porations to be devoted to state pur-
poses, with provision Tor a division of
the surplus among the counties. The
consideration of this and other mat
tiers of equal Importance can, in my
judgment, be properly postponed t.
some succeeding legislative assembly.
Necessity for Prompt Action.
The main revenue law should be act
ed upon promptly and the other mat
tiers involved can be considered later
Under the system that was permitted
to grow up through years of violation
of the law by which each asses 3or
sought to keep as low as possible the
valuation of the taxable property of his
county, the levy in the municipal SUB
divisions of some counties reached me
abnormal figures of seven and eight
per cent and at such appalling figures
eastern financiers could not be expect
ed to make investments, especially in
view of the fact that the law plainly
demanded full cash valuation. To
fnanciers such levies spoke confisca-
ton. And practically all the levies in
the various counties looked exceeding
Iy large to newcomers from the older
states and there was no more difficult
task confronting those interested in
the development of the state than ex-
valuation and the substantial prices
asked for property. In many cases
this combination has proven insur-
The entire system was an invitation
to bankruptcy and even with these
high Ievies sufficient funds were MT
raised for the conduct of the business
Of some of the counties or else the
have been grossly ex-
.ravagant in fixing the sums to be ex-
pended for the current year.
This same condition once confronted
our neighboring states of Washington
iliO OlCSOll dilu ~ etSutC DCSohiS CiiO
competition on Oregon
hat the taxable property as returned
)y the assessors actually decreased at
)ne period as compared with previous
years. Both of these states have Gre
ited tax commissions with the result
hat the valuations have been in
creased, the levies reduced and more
inform and equitable assessments
lave been made.
The state of Ohio by means of tax
commission and limiting the maximum
ewes has also remedied evils similar
@ those developing in Idaho.
The state of Idaho should profit by
he experience of the older common
vealths and in this era of universal
,ducation and public discussion and
he great activities of the printing
,ress, with rapid communication, there
should be no need of investigation eX
ending over a long period, as data
.frecting every branch of the question
S at your command and this legisla-
I've assembly SnOulu take IL upon itSelI
O enact legislation of permanent
haracter and place Idaho in line with
Ter sister states of the republic
l do not think it out of place TO call
our attention to the duty of dismiss
ng from consideration all questions of
acre partisan advantage and to state
he people are in no mood for petty
The people expect alike
rom your honorable bodies and from
lyself at this particular time the best
ervice of which we are capable with
ut regard to what the effect may be
n persons or parties They have the
light to expect each and every one of
S to rise to the full measure of patri-
tio citizenship and do orr whole dntV