The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-01-16
GOVERNOR HAWLEY
DEFENDS TAX BILLS
Continued from Page y

State Auditor Taylor, in his report 70
1910, earnestly and eloquently por
trayed the evils of the system, mos
earnestly asked for relief and wisel,
suggested tax commission amongs
other things. Your time was so oc
cupied with many other matters the1
seemingly of equal Importance tina
these suggestions were not acted up
Immediately after your adjournment
in March last, l renewed my study Of
our system of assessment and taxa
ton and soon became convinced that
it was my official duty to insist upon
a compliance with the revenue laws OF
the state by the officers intrusted with
their execution, and that in so doing
would greatly benefit the state. I'M
mediately, and in order to divest the
matter of any political significance, |
called a meeting of the state board of
equalization and requested the assist
ance of it's members in my proposed
efforts to enforce the law. My prop
osition was enthusiastically received
and unanimously agreed to, and, al
though afterwards and at time when
a backward step would simply have
resulted in untold confusion, some of
the board regretted their action, still
to the other members in marked de-
gree is due the results that followed.
All county officers connected with the
enforcement of the revenue laws were
at once notified to act in strict ac-
cordance with the statutes, and an
honest attempt was made by most of
them to do So Our efforts evoked bit
ter opposition and strenuous attempts
were put forth by many of our citizens
and some of our newspapers to de-
feat the reform and continue the old
methods. The result was that after
the state board of equalization had
finished it's labors we had raised the
assessment roll of the state in round
numbers from 1927, 100000 to $3.50, 000,-
900 and had advanced the assessed val
ne of the state to about 70 per cent
of it's actual value, with the certainty
of reaching the full cash value dur
ing the coming year and the intolera-
bly, high rate prevailing has been
greatly reduced.
This great reform successfully car
ried out against the most bitter OPP
position that ever assailed public
measure in our state, mas, as l antlc-
ipated beforehand, brought out fully
the many absurdities, contradictions,
Inconsistencies and imprOvident pro-
visions of our revenue laws. 1t has
been well said the best method OF Sc
curing the repeal of an obnoxious law
is to strictly enforce it. l would add
that the most effective way of secur-
ing needed changes in the law is by
insistently upholding the law and thus
informing the lawmakers of its de-
fects. That our system is antiquated
and ineffective; that it must for the
benefit of our people be materially
changed in many respects; that rad
ical changes must not only be made |
in our revenue laws but amendments |
also had to the constitution of the
state, before Idaho can be in accord |
with the best methods of dealing with |
the problems of taxation, has been |
fully demonstrated during the year
last past.
While the condition of the taxation
question is not, perhaps, such as to
absolutely require legislative action
before the next regular session, still
our past experience has taught us
that during a regular session OF the
legislature so many different subjects
engross the attention of the members
that it is impossible to perfect in the
limited time Of the session any gen.
eral law of great magnitude unless
such law has been prepared before
hand and carefully studied by the
members of the legislature, or unless
they shut their eyes and blindly adopt
a measure to which they have not CIV
en- their personal consideration. | be-
lieye the only method of intelligently d
upon subject so import ;
ant as a general revenue law for the
state, is to do so at special session
wherein no intervening legislation
can be urged, and with foundation
carefully prepared by competent and
men upon which the leg
stature can readily build proper !,
measure.
So believing, I called some months
ago upon Judge John F. MacLane and
Hon. Frank Martin to prepare, with
he assistance of the attorney generals
,ffice a thorough and complete revis-
on of our revenue laws and the ne t
,essary amendments TO the constitu- J
ion. These two eminent 1urlsts, than t