Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1913-01-02
BONNER COUNTY
man PLACED IN
QUEER POSITION
Byron Defenbach May Not
Be Able to Be Present at
the Opening Of the Legis-
lature.

Because the board of county COM
missioners will not allow him to re-
sign, and because the state constitu-
ton will not permit him to hold two
positions at the same time, Senator
elect Byron Defenbach OF Bonner coun-
", finds himself in a peculiar position
at Standpoint. The net result is that
he is held in that city and may be
forced to stay there a full week after
the legislature opens. But two of the
Bonner county delegation are in the
city. A. II, Conner, candidate for
speaker, and f. +. Elliott Mr.. Conner
arrived several days ago, Mr., Elliott,
accompanied BY Mrs Elliott, arrived
last night.
Senator nefenhach is at present as
SCISSOR of Bonner county He was
nominated at the primaries and elect
ed Mt the general election as senator
from Bonner county. His successor as
assessor does not take office until the
second Monday in January. or Monday,
IAN. IS. IN the meantime the COM
missioners are holding Senator Defen-
bach to his post. Yet by virtue Of
being elected senator, Mr.. Defenbaeh
assumed the duties of that office Dec.
], 1912.
An important interview was recent
" given out by senator Defenbach,
which party leaders in Boise will be
interested In II is as follows:
Sounds Keynote.
81 believe that the development and
settlement of the country should be
the keynote of our policies in Idaho.
We are a land Of raw material, mag
nificent distances and a sparse popula-
ton. Such a country is properly
termed frontier ana its people 'pio-
neers' The very words indicate hard
ship and a lack of the amenities Of
higher civilization.
ITO develop these resources will re-
qnire capital our laws should there
fore be so framed as to encourage in
vestment along henefieent lines The
laws governing liens, collections and
foreclosures should be modified as to
foster the extension Of credit hy MAX
ing it safe, instead Of encouraging dis
honest debtors,
"'The extension Of our agricultural
areas is the most important work
along the lines Of development Ir-
rigation in the south and the clearing
Of logRed-off lands in the north are
the concrete problems with which we
have to deal.
There is a general demand for re-
duction In the burdens Of taxation
This cannot be met hy change Of the
basis nf valuation from TOO per ccnt
ia 40 per cent and back again, nor By
the creation Of expensive Tax commits
sions The axiom that governs taxa
ton is best expressed by the old adage.
They who dance must pay the fid-
der" No amount of agitation or extra
mr. of
away from that old principle There
are only two ways Of reducing the bur
den of the fiddler. namely
Il Dance less.
80 Get more people to contribute.
TN other words eeonomize TO re-
dnce the cost Of government. Begin
Al home. After all the state uses only
a small part Of the taxes We pay We
snend too much money in county. nu-
nieipal and school district government
and most Of the time we do not get
the worth of our money. ! am per
fectly aware that this idea Is not pop
ular, but let US be honest with our
selves. Our whole system IS too elab-
crate.
Taxation Question.
"The more highly country is de-
veloped, the less tho burden of taxa
ton The nearer people are together,
the less the per capita expense OF
roads. schools and all the other items
that make civilization.
"If development will reduce taxa
ton, then taxation should be SO Inn
posed as TO foster development Poll
cies Of speculation and land monop-
DIV should be discouraged. while every
encouragement should he given the man
who is struggling 70 make two blades
grow where one grew before Laws
should aim at policies. not people, It
isn't tho amount Of wealth a man has,
II is the use he makes of it that deter
mines whether or not he is a desirable
citizen.
."The public utilities OF the state
should be supervised by a nom parti-
san commission. The laborer Ia our
factories, mills and mines should he
protected by modern employers liabil-
ity laws There should be no cor
poration- batting but undue political
activity on the part of privilege seek
ing interests should be frowned upon.
I am of the opinion that state land
should no longer be sold in large
blocks, but should, whenever practic-
able be disposed of only to actual set
tiers. | do not share the feeling that
there is any great need of haste in
getting rid of our land, unless it Is un-
der the conditions suggested / also
think that state funds should be loaned, |
as far as possible. solely for the pur-
pose Of developing the property en-
numbered.
..The principle of the direct primary