The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-02-09

!. Rich was in from Boise the last OF
the week, and besides spending a lit
tie time visiting with his family af-
ter long absence on official business,
he visited with men about town and
discussed the work of the administra-
ton, the acts of the special session
of the legislature, Governors Haw-
ley's work and the opposition to his
tax measures, the criticisms and the
jokes perpetrated on him in connec-
ton with his farm loan, and the
work of his office the past year.
He is very much impressed with
the correctness of the cash value plan
of assessing, and believes that Gov
ernor Hawley has accomplished a
great deal the past year notwithstand-
ing what Mr.. Rich terms the unkind
political fight carried on by Republi-
cans and the press. He says he is
unable to find men who can give any
good reasons why we should not as
sess at cash value, and in turn is
unable to say why the governor did
not start the cash value agitation in
time to save the confusion arising
frcm the legislation of year ago,
unless it is that he, like many others,
bad not gone into the details OF the
matter enough to foresee these
things. He believes, however, that
an improved trd modern revenue sys-
TEN will grow out of the agitation
and study of the present administra-
tion.
Speaking of his own part in the
matter, and of his loan, he said that
the press of the state including The
Idaho Republican, had whipped Gov
ernor Hawley over his shoulders, and
in justice to the governor he had re-
piled through the columns of the
Statesman, and furnished us copy
of it for publication which is given
herewith. He said the report that
he had paid only 1925 taxes on his
Tyhee farm was not correct, that it
should have read $195. That he had
nothing to do with the assessing of
~ to1 wit
SCISSOR about it and when called up
by the state board of equalization
last summer as to the value of his
lands at Tyhee he said they were
worth $3.50 an acre, and that they
were being assessed at SIS. That the
lands adjacent to Pocatello were as
sessed according to location, rang
ing in strips two miles wide, and the
farther out of town the lands lay
the lower the value, the difference be-
ing IS from strip to strip. 1t was
not his duty, he said, to go after the
assessor and make his change his
plans. Being asked why the assessor
did not obey orders and follow the
cash value plan, he said that was a
Republican official, and could proba-
bly, answer that question himself.
Asked why the governor did not dis
miss him from office for such DISC
bedience as he had said he would in
his circulars last spring, Mr.. Rich said
that was a matter for the governor
and the prosecuting attorney to an,
swer.
AS to Governor Haw1ey's part in al.
lowing the loan on his farm, he said
iu had been approved under Governor
Brady's administration, and Hawley
had nothing to do with it, though the
money was paid during his incumben
cy.
Speaking of the work of his office
Mr.. Rich said he had gone over the
state carefully and assembled exhibits
for the land shows for the Governors
Special, and had received a mor'
hearty response and more generous
aid in almost all other parts of thu
state than he had at his home town
That he was ambitious to make al
exhibit from this county that woult