The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-10-31
QUEER REVENUE Law.

SiOnS OF the legislature and at the
special sessions were plenty. 1T
really surpasses common comprehen-
sion in many respects, and if some
of the solons can explain them we
wish they would.
For example, the new law permits
the taxpayer to pay half of his taxes
the first of the year and the other
half the following June, and it ap-
pears in practice that about the only
ones that can take advantage of it are
the heavy taxpayers and corporations
The farmer whom it was intended to
relieve, finds that he might as well
pay it in December as to wait until
the next June, for in most instances
he has no more money coming in I'M
til after the June payment would be
delinquent.
The latest surprise is that person.
al property taxes must be paid before
the first of November, Tin one place
it reads "4th Monday in November)
or the assessor must seize the proper
ty and sell it for taxes. This applies
to stocks of mercandise, printing ma
ehinery, banking business and vari-
Gus other things that do not belong
with sufficient real estate to be duly
secured by real etsate.
A notable exception exists in the
ease of the banking business, and the
law plainly states that the banks
taxes must be paid in November, If
respective of real estate holdings.
Even though they own the county
they must pay the county early for
fear they may vanish and beat the
county out of what the county con-
sists of and subsists upon. The Stand
rod bank at Blackfoot, with $4,000
worth of real estate cannot be trust
ed until the first of the year for its
taxes and until the next June for
half of it as can any other owner of
lands and lots, and the First Nation
al bank with all it's real estate and
wealth has to pay at the same time.
The two banks with over a million
dollars on deposit have got to come
across with their taxes first of all,
and perhaps this is the reason adop-
ted by the solons-they have it rea-
dy, make them pay.
Another Banking View
A few years ago radical legislation
was against the railroads. Just now
tits against the banks and the white
slavers. Everything that is not I'M
derstood at a glance is condemned
and made the subject for prosecution
coupled with persecution to the NJ
termost limits with an insanity akin
to witchcraft. A few years of this
and the pendulum will swing the 9TH
er way in an attempt to forget the
things that are being overdone.
In Idano a man In the banking bus
mess making criminal transactions
is not punished more severely than
the one who simply makes mistakes
in judgment and embarrasses the
bank, for neither of them stands a
ghost of show before jury.
The most appropriate thing that
has come to light for many moons in
this state is the suit just instituted
at Boise for the recovery of $25, 900
on the official bond of State Bank Ex-
aminer V. P. Plat, the man who took
his fight over the state and thought
everybody was wrong but himself and
his friends. The little bank in whose
management he discovered a strain
ing of points to carry obligations un-
dertaken, was the choicest morsel
for him, and the slightest infraction
was sufficient for him to take severe
measures to destroy the business and
the man. Now comes suit against
ris official bond. claiming that he al
lowed a Boise bank to continue in
busieness long after he knew that it
was insolvent, and in utter neglect ct
duty that re allowed its affairs to go
from bad to worse until depositors
were hopelessly involved. Then when
he did take action, by his arbitrary
management he seemed to produce
the most bitterness possible, and by
what depositors allege were dilatory
tactics, further increased the distress.
Now Mr.. Platt's free hand is curbed
and perhaps for the first time since his
appointment to office he feels the
weight of responsibility, and that re-
sponsibiiity comes home to him as ne
has been driving it home to those un-
der him.
Long live Platt!-that is long
enough to learn his lesson and to
atone for some of his mistakes If he
has wronged people, and We think
he has. In twenty years from now
he might be a very good bank exam
liner.