Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-03-04
by Ora Williams. ]

Dies MONIES March 4.-Some sur
Prise has been expressed here over
the movement for which Senator Jus
TN Dorar. Of Beaver, Iowa stands
sponsor 20 organize an association TO
devise WAYS and means for elininat-
Ing needless expense IN the analrs OF
the public Nj. Doran SAYS that al
mos. every other class Of persons ls
organized and why not the taxpayers
But this really exposes a weakness OF
the movement for & asSUE5 g class
OF taxpayers and a class not taxpay-
ers. What really IS meant is class
OF large taxpayers and class o..
small taxpayers. and possibly also the
assumption that the patriotism OF
men may De in some degree measured
by the size Of the tax bills they pay.
! Bu, anyway Mr.. Doran Is not TO be
Sc, down as a visionary. nor as one
wholly selfish, and least Of all he must
not be regarded as one not knowing
what he wants He was IL the lesis-
lature several terms and he had way
OF going right straight to the point
crude way it is true, but direct and
cou-ageously. The though, which is in
MT Doran's mind seems to De, as
gathered from him direct that there
; ought to De some sort Of an crgan!za-
,ior devot4ng itself especially 10 look
ing after :ha economies II govern
mental activities largely with view
70 reducing expenses where that is
posi- without harm.
i "Th- taxpayers Of Iowa ought to see
| to !, that hey are not taxed more than
! is necessary" said Mr.. Doran. THAT
, s+z off
! There are worse things than high
taxes II ls great deal worse TO have
! the taxes wasted or misused. What we
want IS TO see that the people get their
MONEYS worth cut Of that which they
expend
Arrang enents are being made 70:
another meeting and perhaps a state
) wide organization. There is TO intent
TIA put il into politics; hut OF course
that is something rot easy to avoid
for politics has TO deaf with good gov
eminent
There Is now and then a good dea
OF complaint in Iowa about the in
creasing tax burden. II is matter OF
record and history. however. that thf
tendency in this direction is genera
ard is not at all peculiar 10 Iowa. a
serious effort was made few year,
Iago TO start something 70 serve az Z
foundation for reform, but it val
tbalked by the ta1-dodgers and Iowa
has no systematic way of handling
teither the revenue problem OF the ex'
pend!ture problem. Still il is not al
bad off as some neishbors- For In
istance here is the good state OF Mis-
souri,, which the secretary Of the boars
Of agriculture has just re-chrlstenet
the "Certer Shot" state, and the stat
board Of equalization IN session ina
week Is wrestling with the problem o
how to replenish the general revenues
Of the state. The revenue fund WI
be exhausted by the close OF the yea
with appropriations made by the las
legislature Of more than $4,000. 300 un
paid. If that had happened in low
there would be at least two taxpayers
associa tons formed instead OF one.
has happened in tine face Of a rails
made last year in the valuation 10
taxation purposes Of Missouri prop
erty OF over S35, 100000. But there j
funny thing In connection Herewith
namely that as matters are now ad
justed there are "a counties OF Ia
state which take from the state treas
ury. for their local use. each one NOR
than is contributed to the state treas
ury by taxpayers OF those thirty-fou
counties: and only: eighteen countie
that pay more to the state than. the
get back. ones Of the fhirty-fou
counties is the one in which Joplin
situated. which Last year receive
over s2s 900 more from the state ,thal
Its taxpayers contributed. The stat
does some taxing ON its osvn accans,
but secures a large part Of thu fund
for state uae in other ways. iir Tsh-7
| II Iowa was facing an a.cafd BIN
over s4,0o0, goo there probably woul
be greater eIsttsh1 i1ss::..sn for a taxpayer
association However, It's promoter
, have q fair reply to tine effect that thi
r me ttme TO nut the brakes on an
, prevent even a million dollar unpas
| bill at any time in the future.
81 The genial Ralph Bolton, Of III
llGreater Des Moines committees, VII
:. u