Graham guardian., 1915-01-01


condition does not mean that enough
money has not been appropriated
or computed for the needs Of the
schools. it simply means that there ls
something wrong with our system
of distribution with reference to
the school funds.
AT the last general election a
bill for the semi-annual payment of
taxes was submitted to the people,
but failed to carry. AS matter of
fact there was very light vote cast
upon this bill and the result is not
decisive. The bill, as submitted,
did not take care of the school stu
alton to any extent. inasmuch as it
deferred the payment of taxes for a
period of six months, rather than
advancing it.
I'VE are of the opinion that the
simplest method of providing suf-
ficient funds to take care of the
schools and relieve the taxpayers of
the burden of paying interest is to
provide that all taxes levied shall be
paid semi-annually, that the first
payment shall be made during the
month of September and the second
payment in the early spring. This
will advance the payment of one-half
of the taxes and defer the payment
of the other half and the schools
would have sufficient money with
which to pay teachers and meet
their obligations. Other depart.
ments of government of the State
and county would also be benefited.
We are met at the outset with
the argument that the machinery of
tax collecting could not be made to
fit this arrangement, that sufficient
time would not be given, etc. We
admit the present method of levying
and collecting taxes would not meet
this condition. but we say very en-
phatically that the method should
be changed. We think that every
duty relating to the assessment of
property in the State could be per-
formed by the assessor within a
period of three months from the
first of the year, that the meeting
of the Boards of Equalization both
county and State, and the various
computations with reference to pro
perty to be assessed by the State
for the benefit of the counties. could
be made and transferred to the pro-
per sources long before the first six
months of the year are gone.
The fact of the matter is, that
there is the greatest deiberaUon
under the present method
of tax collecting. To make tt more
positive and DO the work properly
would be the best thing that could
happen to the financial system of
the State. There is not an assessor
in the State that is over-Worked, and
this is true of every treasurer. AS
a rule government in its operation
is deliberate, but this is no justifca-
ton. There is not a private cor
poration in the world, which, if its
affairs were subject to the same de-
lay and the same half-hearted at
tention that is often given to public
business, would survive as a going
institution. We see no reason why
the business of the State and the
county should not be attended to as
expeditiousIy as the business of Il
private concern.
AS the law now stands, no tax
payer in the State of Arizona can,
unless he takes the trouble to go to
:he office of the assessor or treasurer.
Enow what his assessment is. The
present plan of the county board of
equalization sitting for anv period at
al! is an absolute farce. No taXp =
er has received notice as to wnal
his assessment may be, therefore he
is in the dark as to whether or not
he should make a complaint.