Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1914-04-24


have announced their unqualified
support OF Governor Hainss, while
from every portion of the state
comes resssuring evidence of the
confidence that the party has in
the Governor.
The Tax Question.
The ever present question of tax
alton will be with us again in the
next campaign. and in this connec-
ton Governor Haines has made an
important contribution to the solu-
ton of the question. He has,
through his Public Utilities Com
mission, answered the question,
Where does the money go toa".
The report made to the Governor
at his request by this commission
is the most exhaustive review of
the tax question ever presented to
TIC NOlCiS VI 1udHO. IL SuOWS Tie
amount of money expended by the
state, the county, the city or vii
lage, and the school district. In
Bonner county the taxes range
from $4,000 to $4,000 to each
thousand dollars of valuation. Of
this amount about $3.50 goes to
the state. Assuming that the taxes
of the county average $4,000 on
every thousand dollars of valuation
and that $3.50 goes to the state, it
follows that the remaining 1927 so
is for local purposes, If sthe bur-
den of carrying on the state gov
eminent, at least that part of it
paid from legislative appropria-
tons. could be cut in two or re-
duced one-half, the reduction
would be only SIPS to the man
who pays $4,000 taxes, and his tax
bill would be $28.75 as compared
to $4,000 without this reduction.
1t Is evident therefore, that if taxes
are to be reduced it must be by a
strenuous cut on the $28.75, the
amount devoted to local expendi-
lures, Such cut would come in
county expenses, city or village
expenses, school district or road
expenses Whether any of the
local communities in Bonner coun-
ty wish to cut on any of these
, items, 1t is for themselves to de-
eide and Is within their own hands
Another method of reducing
taxes will be by adopting some
plan that would produce revenue
. from an indirect source, thus re-
} lievipg the direct property tax.
Governor Haines favors selling
, more of our agricultural lands in
order to increase the endowment
fund, the earnings of which may
be applied to paying part of the
? public expense. The law limits
i the sale of school lands to 25 Sec
tons Of land annually. There are
thousands of acres in Southern
Idaho now under lease for a very
S low sum, that could be sold if the
a law would permit, and this would
y produce a fund of many thousands
of dollars which could be loaned al
six or seven per cent, and the in.
terest could be used to help pay
public expenses, The state nov
2 makes a direct appropriation oil
E about 81, 100000 a year to pay
' running expenses. If the state
should sell sufficient lands to pro
duce fund of $40, 900, 900 or ST., ,
100000 the interest on this func
e at 6 per cent would produce a sun
equivalent to the amount of money
appropriated by the legislature anC
thus relieve property of the stat
tax.
: Governor Haines does not expec
4 that all this land should be sold il
y one year, but he believes that prog
ress should be made along this lin
and that there is room for sucl
n progress is apparent when it i
n stated that the land ownings of thi
" state are estimated to be wort
o. SIS, 900, 900. Governor Haine
: favors selling these lands in no
&c more than 100 acre tracts, and t
lie actual home builders. He point
l. out that it would give the state ad
y ditional funds to loan to farmers a
- low rate of interest to develo
:, their farms, thus providing anothe
~ important reason why it would
ID we'll to change our laws so that til