The Red Cloud chief., 1914-07-23

CihilOus II
Ladies and Gentlemen:-Your COM.
mittee appointed at the last State
Convention. held in Omaha, June,
1913. to investigate and report up
on the subject Of taxation in Nebras.
ka, begs leave to submit the follow
ing in compliance Herewith:
In the first instance, this committee
desires to extend to the editors OF this
state its heartfelt thanks for their
ready assistance asked by the COM
mittee. In order the better to ascer-
tain general public sentiment, the
committee drafted a form OF ballot
stating certain propositions In tax
reform and asked the readers OF Me-
braska papers to vote thereon. The
editors Of the state, to the number of
about one hundred and fifty, kindly
inserted In their papers a stereotype
plate OF the ballot, and some others
set up the form in their W estab.
lishments, publishing the same in
their papers. A copy of the ballot to
which reference Is made is hereto at
tached and made a part hereof.
The most conspicuous result OF the
vote cast is the demonstration made
that the present evenue system Of
Nebraska has few II any intelligent
defenders anywhere within the state.
Our revenue statutes, published In a
book Of more than 12O pages, are a
most pitiable tumble of idiocies, the
strict enforcement Of which would
crush out Of existence every vestige
Of enterprise in the State OF Nebras-
ka, except that OF the foreclosing OF
mortgages and the business that
grows out of sheriff's sales. Were it
possible strictly to enforce these
revenue laws, the people would fee
the state as from a pestilence, and It's
prosperity would be doomed. There
fore. while It is generally dangerous
to allow public officials any discre'
ton in the execution Of the law, still
the people Of this state owe to their
tax officials a certain debt OF graft
tude for their non-enforcement, even
enue laws possible.
There is today before the people OF
this state an amendment to our con
~stitution which would, II adopted, en-
able the legislature, which under oui
initiative and referendum laws. in
ciudes the people, to remedy the de
fects Of our revenue system. The re
suit Of the voting upon the question
mentioned was to record a very large
majority of the newspaper readers o
the state in favor Of that amendment
Even those who voted against it evi
IDENTIFY did 30 through a misapprehen
sion Of its purport. This Is proves
BY the fact that invariably thes
same readers who rejected by thei
ballots this amendment, made suggei
lions of changes in our venue syi
tenn, every one Of which would be in
possible unless this amendment !
carried next November. APPARENT
their opposition is less to the ament
ment than 1t is to the Legislature
They fear the exercise by the legii
lature of any larger power. Yet TIL
fear Is groundless, especially In vie
Of the fact that in Nebraska, thank
to the initiative and referendum, tn
legislature means or includes 9TH
people"
The main object Of the ballot we
for the committee to fnd out II,
the average readers mind, there we
any idea that the State ought not
tax those things that the people d
sired and ought to have. or thint
that could hide or run away. or TIL
could and would come into the Stat
To the question as TO whether Il
reader favored the taxing Of farm II
Elements, stock or other products
the farm, the vote showed about
equal division q opinion. as 1t al
showed an equal division Of opinion
to the taxation of personal propert
Yet an amusing feature Of h ballt
ing was the reasonable unanimity
opinion among certain farmers tn
farm implements and products shou
not be taxed, though they voted I'VE
TO the question as to whether mar
featuring machinery and merchan
goods ought to be taxed. Overlot
irg entirely the disposition to tax (
city and town producer while allo
ing the farm producer to escape, the
readers failed to see that when tn
vote to tax the manufacturer or I
merchant they only vote to tax the
selves, since the tax is invarial
added to the price Of the goods p
duced and shifted onto the farm
and all other consumers of the goo
Such taxes are never paid by the p
son upor whom they are levied.
The present constitution Of
state, evidently with the idea Of
couraging the planting OF trees. C
tains this provision: 1.-THE legislat'
may provide that the increased va
Of lands by reason Of live fen<
Fruit and Forest Trees, grown
cultivated thereon, shall not be tai
into account in the assessment thu
Of"
On account Of the unfortunate w
ing Of that section, It has not con
buted. as II otherwise might b
-- A.