The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-12-12

whether the same is expended
with the idea of giving the tax
payer full value for the outlay
which he is called upon to make.
In other words, every taxpayer
should be just as fully informed
at all times with regard to the
handling of these details of pub
lie business as he is concerning
the details of his own private
taX-spending end of government
al machinery quite as carefully
as he does the tax-gathering end.
State Tries to Save Money.
The publicity and interest which is
necessary with reference to local ex-
penditures have tried to bring about
with reference to state expenditures
The present administration has been
most careful in it's supervision of pub
lie expenditures, and it must, appear
to all who have read the quarterly
reports submitted by the various de-
partments that we have made in each
case either substantial reduction in
expense or an Improvement or en-
| largement in the services rendered.
But in addition to practicing care
and economy in the use of money ap-
propriated we must seek to have the
people themselves exercise greater SUI
pervision over those bodies which
have been intrusted with power to le-
Wy taxes. We must ask them also to
analyze carefully the separate sourc-
es from which the various items IN
their tax bills arise, and to fix in their
minds the proportion of theu assess
ments which go to the support Of the
state, the county, the city or village,
the road district and the school dist
riot.
I'm general they will find that their
state tax is small il comparison with
the other items, and that by far the
largest items come from their school
and road district, ana their city CT
village taXes-those sources of eX-
penditure which are nearest TO them
and which are most nearly under
their immediate conC"Ol. When AZ
tention has been gwen ~ these mat
tiers it will be realized that me gov
ernmnt has 5ee1 given Nc control
whatever over the local a-cItles of
government Ni13e operations ale
now costing is So heavily. And 10
fault whatever "al BE- found with !E,s
arrangement. 1t IS correr- rriIrj-
pie of government,
Where sha People Rule.
eff the people of certain school
district wish to bond their district for
the purpose of erecting good school
houses, if they wish to tax themselves
literally for the purpose of employ
ing skilled teachers, if they are will
ing to pay for conveyances in which
to; carry their children to and from
school; if the people of a road dis
trict desire to bond their district for
the purpose of constructing good sub
stantial roads and bridges, if they
are willing to tax THEMSELVES literally
for the purpose Of maintaining such
roads and bridges in good condition" =
if the people residing in any city or
village desire to bond in order to
erect public buildings, pave their
streets, provide fiire-fighting appa-
ratus, electric lights, proper sewer
age and all other modern improve
ments; if the people within a county
desire to bond for public improve
ments which comes under the juris-
diction of county governmental
these things are matters of purely To-
cal concern, with which the state gov
eminent has, and should have, moth
ing whatever to do. When these ex-
penditures are uthorized, however,
the people should realize that they
are placing burdens upon themselves
and they should be willing to assume
their full share of responsibility for
the aggregate amount.
Voters Elect Lawmakers.
IF, finally the members of the leg
islature who were elected by the peo-
pie themselves, who come from the
people, and who are supposed to re-
fleet their wishes desire to make large
appropriations for the maintenance of
schools, desire to provide literally for
our penal and charitable institutions;
if they desire to create new commits
sions for the purpose, of having the
state undertake governmental activi-
les along new lines, it is certainly no.
the duty of elected or appointed ad-
ministrative state officials to say
them nay or to attempt to insist that
these appropriations which are sup
posed to reflect the wishes of the peo-
nj oh ,,Dt ho