American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-03-30
CAPITALIZATION OF RESOURCES
WILL MAKE IDAHO TAXLESS
ID. w Davis, in Address at Meridian,
Enlarges Upon His Plan to Utilize
Idle Resources to Make Idaho Tax
less.

D. w. Davis delivered an address
at Meridian, Saturda evening, outlin-
ing his plan to utilize the idle re-
sources of the state to reduce the
present burden of government and
to eventually make Idaho tax free.
Considerable interest was manifest in
his address because of the fact that
Captain Davis, who is also seeking
the nomination for governor on the
Republican ticket, on March deliver
ed an address at the same place in
which he attempted to ridicule the
plan of the American Falls man. Sem
ator Davis challenged all doubters to
submit his statements to bankers or
to the schools for verification, and
brought conviction to mixed audience
Of business men and farmers who
heard him. His address, in part, was
as follows:
Every man who aspires to office
should have something to. offer the
public in exchange for the support
he asks. l stand for a clean, efficient
and economical administration of the
states affairs; for converting Idaho's
resources into interest bearing secur-
tiles and making the earnings there
from pay the cost of government; for
selling school bonds held by the state
and giving Idaho people the benefit
of cheap money; for loaning Idaho's
money to Idaho farmers at low rate
of interest to develop the state with
its own resources; for removing state
boards from politics and making fit
ness the basis for appointments there
to; for putting the state fish and game
department under game commission;
for providing uniform system of ac
counting, bring all departments to
one general head, so that the exact
financial condition of the state may
be shown at any time, and, among
other things, for the adoption of
policy that will make Idaho taxless.
not only believe, but know that this
can be done by the proper handling
of our resources. l hope you will be-
lieve that / am sincere in this matter
and that / am not trying to deceive
nor delude the people of Idaho.
have never been more sincere nor
earnest about anything in my life,
and i have never given any private
business interest any more careful
consideration that.I have given this.
We are all familiar with the
expedients that have been advOcat-
ed and adopted I'm the past. We
have created commissions; we
have imposed fees on this and
licenses on that. placing new
burdens upon the people under the
guise Of relieving them from bur-
dens; we adopted cash valuation,
and paid more taxes; we have
turned to relentless retrenchment,
and the only hope that retrench-
ment can bring is little easing
of the burden, but in no wise a
cure for 1t. We have merely tink-
cred with the whole taxation pro-
blem, seeking to relieve our dis
tress instead of removing "a.
advance nothing which l am afraid
to have you take to your banker, or
submit to your schools for verification.
In fact, 1 hope you will do so, and
that by your own firesides you will
submit my statements to the test of
critical examination. If you do this,
you will doubt no more, but while do
;a11x Ia
tax burdens we now bear.
There is nothing mysterious nor
complicated about the plan. On the
contrary it is more simple, less ex-
pensive, more profitable and safer than
the plan now in use. The first step
is to convert our dormant resources
into interest bearing securities. We
have approximately 100000 acres of
land that are not only bringing in no
revenue, but the care of them Is en-
failing an annual expense. We have
approximately half a million acres
more that are bringing in a revenue
from leases, but this revenue is not
one-fourth what II would be II the
lands were converted into securities
bearing per cent interest.
The second step is to reinvest the
greater part Of the earnings and in
crease our capital. These lands were
given us for the benefit of our schools
and our state institutions. We are re-
quired only to use the earnings for
the benefit Of the schools and the in
stttutions for which they were given
We are not required to expend these
earnings as fast as they accrue, and
the best interests Of our institutions
will not be served II we do SO.
There Is no room for quibbling
over estimates, nor over the
-. amount Of capital we may have
10 begin with. II h IN indisput-
able fact that sam Of money
placed at SIX per cent interest,"
compounded annually, will double