Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1913-12-13
GOV. WILL PROBE
THE TAX PROBLEM
Asks State Tax Commission to Ascer-
tain What Becomes of Peoples
Money.

Money.
THE most important question in
the last campaign was the question
OF taxation. All parties were COM
mitted to the strictest economy in
public expenditures and the success
ful party promised to do all in it's
power to bring about a reduction in
taxation throughout the state. This
promise has been made good insofar
as economy in state expenditures is
concerned. and as a result of the
concerned, and, as result of the
now prepared to point out the meth
cd through which a substantial reduc-
ton in individual assessments can
and must be brought about
The foregoing is the opening of
communication by Governor .laines
to the head Of tthe state tax commits
sion, Axel Ramstedt. The letter con-
tinues:
1t is clearly evident that in order
to bring about such a lowering of tax
levies as will materially reduce indi-
Vldual assessments it is necessary to
enlist the active interest and co-opera-
ton OF every taxpayer in the state of
Idaho. Every man who pays taxes
should know just why he pays them
and the purposes for which the money
SO paid is to be used
He should know the part
which goes to the state and how
it is there applied; the part which
goes to the county and how that
is used; the part which goes to his
city, town or village, and whether
or not it is properly and econom-
1cally expended and, finally, the
same is expended with the idea of
the outlay which he is called up
on to make. In other words, every
taxpayer should be just as fully in
formed 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 business.
He should watch the tax-spending end
of governmental machinery quite as
carefully as he does the tax x-gathering
end
The publicity and interest which
is necessary with reference to local
expenditures l have tried to bring
about with reference to state ex-
penditures.. The present administra-
ton has been most careful in it's
supervision of public expenditures
and it must appear to all who have
read the quarterly reports submit
ted by the various departments that
We have made in each case either a
substantial reduction in expenses or
an improvement or enlargement in
the services rendered.
But in addition to practicing care
and economy in the use of money
appropriated we must seek to have
the people themselves exercise
greater supervision over those bod
les which have been intrusted with
power to levy taxes. We must ask
them also to analyze carefully the sep
arate sources from which the yari-
Gus items in their tax bills arise, and
to fix in their minds the proportion
of their assessments which go 10 the
support of the state, the county, he
city or village, TIE road district and
the school district.
''In general they wi Il find that
sion with the other items, and that
by far the largest items come from
their school and road district, and I
their city or village taxes - those
sources of expenditure which are
nearest to them and which are most
nearly under their immediate con-
troll When attention has been given
to these matters it will be realized (
that the state government has been
given no control whatever over the To-
cal agencies of government whose
operations are now costing us SO
heavily. And no fault whatever car s
be found with this arrangement, 1t is
a correct principle of government.
''lf the people of a 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 employing skilled teachers, If they
are willing to pay for conveyances in
which to carry their children to
and from school; if the people of a
road district desire to bond their dis
trict for the purpose of const 'uctirg
good. substantial roads and bridges,
If they are willing to tax them
selves literally for the purpose OK
maintaining such roads and bridges in
good condition; if the people residing
IN hnn