The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1916-05-04
- Moscow, Idaho, April 2S, 1915
Tho q r.. N rrarrillo GlAh

"oScoW, ludnO, April Is, 1915
The Grangeville Globe,
Gentlemen:
For your information l mail you
ccpy of letter addressed to the Just
ices of the Idaho Supreme Court; it
explains itself. My desire is to throw
some light upon the important sub
Ject or taxation, If l have the ability
to do so; and after having served the
state as it's governor for two terms,
l should have acquired some knowl-
edge Of the subject.
In brief, the whole question of a
remedy for our present increasing tax
alton, is merely matter of cause and
effect. First: Is it not true that dur
ing the early years Of our statehood
taxes were lower than they have been
In recent years? That having been
answered in the affirmative as it must
be, the next question TO follow is: !:
Why was that possible? Simply be-
cause the constitution as written by
its bramers limited the tax levy to a
graded scale as the assessable proper
ty within the state increased in value
The next, and important question is :
Why are taxes so much greater now
than formerly? The increase in our
state taxes Is due to the effect of
Amendment No. 8, to the constitution,
which was adopted November, 1906,
permitting a continuous tax levy of
ten (10) mills on each dollar of as
sessable valuation no matter how
much the total valuation of property
within the state may be, the result is
/ olfhnunh 10 .fxr
within the state is now more than ten
times as much as it was in 1896, and
the population has trebled taxes have
not diminished. This amendment was
not ratified by a majority of the cleo
tors as the constitution provides, but
was declared adopted, and the people
have been paying accordingly ever
since.
The tedency of the average man,
woman, school-district, county, or
state, is to extravaganza and unless
some reasonable limit is placed upon
our expenditures we will almost inc
vitably go too far and become lavish.
! Especially is that true of state legis-
/ lature. The constituents of the mem
bers are usually clamerous for some
thing and their appeals are hard to
resist Even before the amendments
to Articles Z, and s, were adapted the
pressure for appropriations were fire.
quently so great that the governor was
obliged to interpose veto.
As must, l believe, be realized by
everyone the only safe remedy for the
people to pursue is to cause the legis
lature at it's next session to provide
for another amendment to the state
constitution, limiting the tax levy ant
the bonded Indebtedness of the state
to some reasonable amount as | thinl
probable that the justices of the Su
preme Court will recommend
Sincerely yours,
w. ]. Mcconnell
: The Honorable Justices of the Su
preme Court, of the State of Idaho
Boise Idaho
Gentlemen:
Permit me to call pour attention t.
Sec %, Article V, of the Constitution
of Idaho which imposes a duty upoI
your honorable Court as follows: "Th,
Justices of the supreme court shall
on or before the first day of Decembe
of each year, report in writing to tn
governor, to be by him transmitted t
the legislature, together with his mes
sage. such defects and omissions in tn
constitution and laws as they ma.
find to exist"
Section 45O, of the Revised Code o
Idaho is as follows: Sec. 45O, IN
Governor Secretary Of State, Stat
| Auditor. State Treasurer, and Attorn
ey Gen. or any three Of them, shal
constitute the State Board of Canvas
sers, and shall canvass the abstract
| of votes cast in the different countie