Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-08-19
PERSONAL PRATTLE
That Eternal Tax Question

That Eternal. Tax Question |
Eternal vigilance is the price Of
liberty" declared Patrick Henry, Of
Virginia, upon memorable occasion
Upon an occasion almost equally men,
orable, the United States supreme
court declared, "The Power to Tax
is the Power to Destroy" hence 1t
is readily discernible that liberty"
is really subject to taxation. Where
power to destroy exists there can
be no liberty. That the power may
not be exercised says nothing. The
wise autocratic government hesitates
in taxation when the point of de-
struction is approached, for the very
obvious reason that the destruction
Of the taxpaying abilities Of people
spells the destruction of the taxing
authorities-they stand or fall to-
gether.
This Is the open season for tax
discussion. THE average taxpayer
will emit his annual growl, besiege
the county commissioners for his ia.
vorite road improvement, his city
council for his fad in municipal ex.
penditure. and his school board for a
place for his daughter. and remain
quiescent until next February, when
he receives his tax statement. Then
he usually makes the welkin ring
with HIS shouts Of extravaganza"
somewhere. Asked where, he de-
clines to answer, for one Of two rea-
sons: he either does not know or he
refuses to convict himself.
The plain proposition, that to econ
omize expenditures means to spend
less money, Is as unintelligible to this
class as Is Sanscrit. To those who
do understand, 1t appears hopeless to
make that understanding universal.
and they are reduced to the unpa-
triotic remedy of making an effort
to save such property as they have
accumulated or has been intrusted
to their keeping, by giving up hope
OF reducing expenses and confine
their energies to escaping what they
best may in the way Of reducing the
assessed valuations.
| It has come within the knowledge
Of the writer, that on many occasions
many of the best citizens Of the
county felt obliged to cater to class
of local politics they despised for
this very reason. But, thanks to the
persistent publicity of certain of the
county press, that day has apparent
ly passed, and the valuations of all
classes of property in the county are
now about as equitably placed on the
tax rolls as may be humanity expected.
What has been particularly i'm
pressed on the public mind within
the past few years, was the Grass
injustice of placing the blame for a
large tax bill upon any one of the
numerous taxing boards. This paper
printed few years ago chart, show
ing the total amount of taxes paid
in the county, and what taxing bodies
were responsible. That chart wised
up quite a few who had always
blamed the county commissioners,
when they learned that the board had
discretion over but II cents on the
dollar OF the monies paid into the
county treasury.
It was revelation to some that
each individual effort for the i'm.
provement Of a road, the building Of
q bridge or school house should ap.
pear in their tax statement. Too
many became impressed with the idea
that they could demand expenditures
and dodge their share of payment.
And, this idea was and Is by no means
confined to the holders Of large prop
erty interests. This truth is sub
stantiated by the county records; the
roads and bridge records. and the
records of almost every school dis
{! trict in the county.
That a realization that the truism
of Ben Franklin, Honesty is the Best
Policy" is as frankly brutal today as
when uttered has been deeply i'm.
pressed upon the public mind of re-
cent years, is recognized. That in
some instances its recognition should
have been delayed or even resisted.
is not strange. but its realization Is
doing more today for the betterment
of mankind and for the advancement
of civilization than any other force
the writer knows of. The first place,
economy in public expenditures. must
look Is to the public demand for i'm
provements it Is either unprepared
or unwilling to pay for.
Singing the Old Song
Whan ono hos diroctod hiu mental