The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-20
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES.

1 Never Uds ibBlf Ptti4 81 AANfI uStI
ity in the way % proposing importan;
, legislation AT the opening Of Legisla
ture in this State rs was developed Gur
ing last week Thc variety Of lcgis!a-
,ion proposed was very great and the
Importance Of il was quite as great is
;he variety.
The bill proposed by Representative
Barnes 30 enforce honesty in advefiis-
ing and 20 punish fraud thcroiD VIII
be generally approved by the public,
Customer who pay their good money
wanc TO know that they have been
honestly dent with. and this bin, il
enacted into Law. would probably help
to that end. IL is fair 20 say in tins
connection that the business houses cs-
tablisbed in salt Lake have a record in
this respect that needs no legislation 20
amend.
number OF party pledges are TO bc
redeemed by legislation. Whore both
thc Democratic and Republican party
promised in their platforms such leais-
lsiion II is no more than honest that
Nh' lSldlIOu Suth9N w ldSNGH ~
| the same time, some Of these PROPOSE
tious are Of doubtful merit, as the cs-
| tablishmcnt of primaries, compulsory
voting, and other measures Of that
kind. The abolition Of the voting ma
chimes. however, would free the voters
from sort OF restriction and ccmpui-
SION under which they now labor much
10 their disadvantage and from which
they should be released. The PROPOSE.
tion to abolish party enlblcms would
add to the uncertainty of the voter.
while the enactment Of the initiative
referendum and recall would be dis
tiuct reversions to an anti-republican
system OF government. The proposition
10 require the publication OF campaign
contributions is doubtless intended TO
purify the election processes and in so
far as it would do that IL is TO be com
mended. In all this the great desidera.
tum is TO preserve and enforce the in
dividual rights Of the voters and to en-
force the purity Of elections.
A problem that will be quite serious
one for the Legislature to solve will be
TO adjust the appropriations TO the
needs of the public service There has
heep sort of era Of extravaganza fos-
tered and practiced which must be
settled for, and which cannot be met
by imposing moro taxes. The fact is
that the taxes are already pretty high, |
and to add TO them would be burden. |
some to the people. There appears to |
bo in Utah officialdom a sentiment |
that 1t is q good thing to get out of |
the people every possible cent for pub
lie expenditures, and there has been too
much acting upon that pine. The rights
Of the people to an economical govern
meni have been too much ignored in
favor of the idea that large expendi-
tures are necessary in order to carry
on the public business properly and
But the sentiment for in.
creased expenditures has reached such
Il point now that the people have be-
come disgusted with it, and that dis
gust was shown emphatically in the de-
feat Of the eight proposed constitutions
al amendments last November. The
voters generally understood that those
amendments would increase taxation
This was denied prior to the election,
)ut now is admitted, and the fact that
the increased revenues expected under
the adoption Of those anne ndments are
now impossible is much deplored IN
1t is unfortunate that our constitu-
lion is so framed that the right adjust
ncnt Of taxation is impossible under
Il. But at least the people cap prevent
The further swelling Of the flood Of
lavish expenditure by keeping the linn
tations where they are. We could, of
course. raise even more money thnn
Te do now for State purposes through
4 proper system of taxation and at
css inconveniece 10 the tax payers
But there has been no effective propo-
,ition TO that end. In fact, there can
not be without complete rebuilding
,f our system Of taxation.
The legislature is doing uobly by
taking hold OF vital questions promptly
md earnestly, and we trust that there ,
sill be no cessation in this activity, Ii
out that bills will be pressed 10 their
passage or defeat while interest in them
s alive. Aud the Legislature should
% frame Its rules that it will be i'm
osslble to revive and keep reviving, so
rs to take up the time OF the Legisla,
ure, bills, propositions. and principles .
hat have already been disposed Of.
This latter is the common objection to
,arly legislative activity. For. under :
he usual practice if measure is de
'eated IN the early section OF the leg
slative time, the supporters of that
Measure will keep thrusting it al the
legislature III different forms right
along 20 the end Of the session. But
he Legislature could prevent oy rule
his blocking of its progress. and ought
o do so by positive and stringent rule {
L. Ex-G