The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-01-05

|of money and by the board of equal
ization refusing to follow the long es-
tablished precedent of conducting the
cash basis, by it's failure to levy suf-
ficient tax to meet the current ex-
penses of the state government, there
by creating the impression that taxes
were low when, in reality, the expen-
diture of the state government eX-
ceeded that of any other period in the
states history and no sufficient pro-
vision was made for the payment of
the enormous outlay. The total deficit
will be sufficient to justify the state
ment that the total expenditures for
the state government of Idaho for the
last two years amounted to more than
$4,000, 100000
When we take these figures into
consideration for state purposes only
to govern about 350, 900 people, it is
no wonder that l am charged by the
people of the state of Idaho to pre-
sent to you the message that taxes are
too high They must be reduced. They
nor by piece-meal, but by one-half. AS
the governor of the state of Idaho, I'M
der my duties under the constitution,
| am here in behalf of the people OF
the state of Idaho to recommend to
you that the amount of money re-
quired for the running of the state
government for the next two years
should be $1,000,O0O less than in
1913-1914. In other words, that the
running expenses of the state gov
eminent for the next two years should
be $1,000,000.00 less than they were
in 1913-1914, that the amount of money
to be levied by your honorable body as
a direct tax upon the property of the
people of the state should also be, at
least, $1,000 100000 less than was levied
in house bill 415, chapter 1877, Session
laws of 1918 for the preceding two
years That the million dollars to be
saved in the running expenses of the
state government should be kept by
the taxpayer and that he receive the
benefit of the economy practiced.
mn m GOV 70
is sufficient, and ought to be suffi-
Gent, to run the state government as
it ought to be run and the interests
of the people safe-guarded. In or
der to do this it will be necessary for
the legislature to apply the pruning
knife. In every department there is
room and necessity for it. Extrava-
gance has crept in everywhere until
some of the departments are SO top
heavy with useless offices and waste
full expenditures that they will become
stronger and more efficient for the
economy practised.
Interest and Sinking Funds
The last legislature passed house
bill Ais, chapter 1877, page 488, Session
laws of 1913, providing levy of two
mills on the dollar, per annum, for
sinking fund purposes, which, if put
into execution, would have created a
fund of sSOO,OOOOO per annum ~addi-
tional or $16OO,O0OO0 in two years.
This law was ignored by the board
Of equalization though the mandate
of the law was there. believe it
was right, at the time, to ignore that
law as it would have bankrupted the
people had it been executed. 1t is now
a dead letter upon the statute books.
am citing this as an example of how
easy it is to pass laws on taxation and
get them approved by the executive
and of how little use legislation OF
his kind really is when the practical
est thereof is to be made.
Interest on the bonds must be paid
and a tax levy sufficient to pay the
interest is a covenant between the state
md the bond owner. That solemn OBJ
igation must be lived up to but no
evy to pay interest should be made for
more than is absolutely necessary. The
asst board of equalization failed in