The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-08
GOVERNOR sPRY's GRIEVANCE.

|
defeated by the voters at the November
election. In making his attack upon
those who opposed those amendments
the Governor appears TO have lost
sight of the costly lessons the people
Of Utah have had in the past by
their unwary ratification Of previous
amendments submitted; particularly
that amendment which continued the
! eipbt-mill State tax to double the limit
I of assessed valuation as originally car
| ried in the Utah State Constitution.
| That is, that whereas the Constitution
! originally limited the eight mill tax to
the assessed valuation Of S200.0oo,0O0
| or under, the amendment which was
urged by his State administration con-
tinued the eight mill tax up to $4o0,.
| 100000 and was distinctively an admin
istratiop measure. Other amendments
also enlarging and increasing the
powers of taxation have been adopted
from time to time, and the people got
tired of these increasing burdens. That
is the long and short Of the whole busi-
| ness.
It is true, as Governor Spry says, that
the proposition to make public money
pay interest had merit, but it was
awkwardly submitted, and the people
did not have any confidence that 1t
would have been enforced in any bene-
fetal way. The other amendmcnts were
| all bad, and deserved defeat.
The Tribune took occasion during the
( campaign, from time to time, to refer
TO those amendments. to point out their
| defects, and to say why they should not
be adopted. No reply was made to any
of the criticisms offered; there seemed
| to be blind confidence on the part OF
the administration that since the people
Of Utah had always ratified Constitu-
tioual amendments submitted, no mat
ter how oppressive the operation of
| those amendments might be, the ratifi-
cation Of these eight proposals was sure.
The voice OF the people disappearing OF
| those amendments seems to have been
| great shock TO Governor Sprv, but that
the amendments ought TO have been de-
| feated there is no doubt. The popular
! Judgment was right, and the experience
Of the people in the working of former
amendments was not such as 10 COM
| mend these new propositions to their
| favor
| The truth Of il is that there seems to
be a determination on the part of the
! off1cialdom of this State TO wiring
from the people the utmost limit Of
taxation. The people, coming to this
fully warranted conclusion, very
naturally concluded that the amend
ments now submitted were Of the same
character as previous amendments. that
had cost so dear, and they revolted.
They did right in thus revolving.
! The matter Of drawing up proper
aud scientific system OF taxation upon
| the ramshackle foundation that we have
for that purpose in this State. is i'm
possible. There would have to be a
wiping out of pretty much everyt hing
on the statute book and in the Constj-
tuition, and a new start made on scion
tific lines, In order 10 afford Il Just and
proper system of taxation. The State
| ought TO get It's revenue, and it could
easily get sufficient revenue for all
State purposes, entirely aside from the
assessment roll That roll should be for
the local governments alone, the couu-
ties and the cities, The State has ample
power. or where it lacks power, the
power should be grant ed, TO collect it's
revenues from general corporations,
from stamps, from inheritance, from
gross proceeds of public utilities, and
the like, AS long as the State revenue
is mixed up with the local revenues,
there will be oppression, interference
and Just complaint from tho taxpayers.
But under our system and under many
amendments proposed, it has been the
idea TO make the taxpayers yield as
much money As possible for the State
government; there has been constant
effort to get more money, and the coun-
ties have been bounded to increase their
valuation in order that the State could
; get more revenue out Of them.
All this is unscientiGc, and oppressive
on the people. There should be efforts
10 eeononlizc occasionally, instead OF
this neyer-ending outcry for more taxa
tion. Instead of bewailing the defeat
Of these oppressive propositions, the
, Governor ought 10 be glad that they
. were beaten, and should como out open
" in favor Of thorough revision OF
our whole taxing system, so that il may
. ! .c mazda IN roI, form IN tba hast ,,,o6 oil
Of taxation, through which those who
arc best able to pay will pay the ueces.
sary expenses OF the government. Tn.
/ til this is done, every effort in the way
OF patchwork will necessarily add to the
, peoples burdens and to the discomfort
of the taxpayers. The constant call fol-
: more money. the wall that those who
have property should pay more than