The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-07-25
Classified AID. Rates:
The Daily Mirror carries the Uni
ted Press Associations Service.
THURSDAY, JULY %, 1912.
TAX REFORM.


vention of political corruption. This
is true because corruption cannot ex-
list except in the dark. When the peo
pie are informed the rascal has no
chance. A study of tax reform, COW
ering a period of ten or a dozen years,
has convinced the editor of the Star
Mirror that the cure for existing evils,
and the surest guarantee of square
deal to all the people, lies in publicity.
To be sure the county commissioners
meet after the assessment is made,
and sit as a board of equalization.
But few people know whether or not
they are fairly assessed, for d fair
assessment is a matter of compare
tive values. That is, that every prop
erty owner shall be assessed no more
nor no less than the other taxpayers.
Equality is the meat of the entire
matter. Talk with people today who
are aggrieved over real or fancied
taxation matters, and Invariably the
trouble lies, not so much in the
duiOuHl VI ldAeS, as Ill the IdcC IHdi
these people have discovered that
some other taxpayer is assessed more
than they. And nothing on earth |
arouses the average citizen more than |
a feeling that he is being wronged; that
he is paying more than he ought to |
pay as compared with what others
pay.
Now how can the people know how
they are taxed and how much tneir
neighbors are taxed so that the peo-
pie may act intelligently when it comes
to equalizing taxes? How can the
people know when they are getting
square deal, and discover an injustice
and unequal assessment in time to go
before the equalization board and get
justice?
Through publicity. After the
county has been assessed let the tax
rolls be published, and copy be
mailed to every taxpayer. The ex-
pense would be small. Brown o"
Jones or Smith would see not only
his own assessment, but that of his ;
and by comparison, discov- '
er at once any favoritism or disclim-
ination, and have time to call the in
justice to the attention of the county II
board
For example, it is charged by T
farmer living near Moscow, that he
knows of farm where $4,000 i'm F
|
at only $1,000, while other farmers v
with a fifth of the improvements, were d
assessed at the same figure Publicity
would have enabled the farmers to c
brought the alleged unjust and I'M
air assessment to the attention OF the O
county board when they met as an q
qualizing board o.
In other words publicity would en- VI
BILE every taxpayer to go over the :
assessment of the county, and by ON
arison discover any equality. 1t Ii
yould also make tax-dodging nard,
Or untaxed property would be quickly :,
iscovered when the people of a
ommunity were given a tax list of 81
heir county and an opportunity to O.
se how much their neighbors were 10 -
ssessed. The farmer knows all about D.
lie property his neighbor owns He si
liled to give it all in. ~
Publicity would do more than this. oo
would show the ownership of all MI
sal estate, and people would be able at
discover neglected tax payments. IA
|, for illustration, as soon as a piece T q
property is sold for taxes, it must, tai
order to be valid SALE be as ua
ssed in the name of the new owner, 20
e real owner, ignorant of the fact 90
at his property has been sold fer in
xes, would in looking up his assess gil
ent, discover the fact that his prop no
ty had been sold. Then, with rea- ~ ~
nable time in which to redeem, the e.
justice that occasionally befalls in Ra
,cent people, would be reduced TO a ea'
mote improbability. 90
Mr. Oversmith has charged that l ce,
not believe in a revision of our tee
venue laws, and that / am an unfit des
rson to represent the taxpayers of 70 .
Ltah county in the state senate. / !
bmit this for the consideration of gol
3 taxpayers of Latah county, ard PEI
edge my best effort to have whatever 80,
the above the people may approve by
into law. I suggest i at pei
8 time that, regardless of whether
not am nominated and elected, the .
pile may consider the suggestions, l