South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-23

view, lhaL the taxes paid Dy them
will not be greater in proportion
than the amount for which they are
assessed at this time" but that will
not fool anyone because II is a sim
pie proposition OF arithmetic that
with tangible property assessed at
true value. IL viii require at least
800, 900. 900 OF intangibles TO be add
ed 20 the duplicate to keep real es-
tate's share Of the taxes where il Is
now: and nobody really looks for any
such disgorging by the tax-dodgers
Taxation is purely a matter Of mathe-
matics after the duplicate is made
up.
II is generally conceded that the
combined effects of such an accident
as the governor suffered last fall
and the strain of the last session OF
the legislature, are enough 70 upset
the workings Of any think-tank: and
I IL is only on this basis that anybody
can explain his statement as TO the
I Legislative record Of 1919: 1T is a
/ record which for the constructive
character of it's work has not been
/ equaled by any general assembly in
this state in the last half century. %
I The mention Of this legislature in the
same breath with the democratic
I legislatures of 1888 and 1891. or even
the republican legislatures OF 1905
and 1907, merits only the comment:
TT is 20 laugh"
Machine making Program.
A microscopical examination Of the
laws adopted in 1919 fails to show
anything constructive about
them except the governors effort to
construct a political machine. His
first specification is the highway
commission bill, which, as construct
ed" and introduced. would have en-
abled l. II Wright to control the en-
tire road building machinery of the
state for political purposes but
which. by the aid of more than 50
amendments that were secured 20
the bill by the democratic minority.
was quite fully reconstructed" be
fore II was passed.
His second specification Of "con
structive legislation is the repeal of
the republican law of 1867 requir-
ing the teaching of German in the
public schools, an5 the provision that
only English shall be used in the
grade schools. Everyone who read,
the newspapers knows that this was
forced on the legislature by an ex-
preston of public opinion that il
Il "a NJ
the most desperate efforts had been
made to prevent it, Even then the
legislature did not have the courage
TO say German" and hid its head
in the sand by excluding all foreign
languages. Republican "construc-
ton" is entitled to the credit for that
subway to get by the pro- German
vote. with as little disturbance as pos
sible
Mostly His Own Schemes.
His third constructive" specimen
Is the tax law. which embodies moth
ing but the recommendations Of the
democratic majority of Gov Ralston's
tax commission of 1916. but care
fully omits their recommendation
for bringing intangibles 10 light. He
saws this law Will make possible the
assessment of all property upon
uniform basis" but as noted above.
gives his opinion that il will not Sc
cure the taxation of intangibles and
will drive the state 10 taxing them on
a basis that is not uniform" after
his proposed amendment Of the con
stitutiOn makes that possible.
The remainder Of the governors
specifications are chiefly his own
schemes which he could hardly re-
fuse to endorse. for him 10 explain
why, if IL is beneficial 10 take the
supervision Of banking AID insurance
business away from the auditor. who
might Ice supposed to know some
thing about them. II is also beneficial
20 lump the geOlOEist. forester. fish
and game commits jner ard cntono-
iogist under a conservation commits
sion with zone responsible head.
mostly Richard Livher. Possibly il is
because Mr.. Iieoe- frankly acFnowI-
edges that ne knows notI inc of any
of the sciences OF Il csc Geuartnente
and therefore, will not De troubled
by them Tn fact IL has beon sup
gested tnat the nIme OF this com
mission is twisted and that il should
be called the conservation commits
sion. il being noted also that the
law does not prevent the conversation
-eins carried on in the German Ian
suage
Failure TO Biuc-sI,y Inv.
Perhaps his nm Is- important sneci-
hcati0n is the "Rlue Slsv law q"
which is very good measure. ex-
cept Mat it failed 90 pass. Possiblv
the governor means that fl would
nave been constructive legislation
II IL had passed But then DO is not
altogether TO blame for not being
aware that II did not gel -hronrb n
there is probably nobody who does
know Just what did &c; through this
most remarkable Legislature Unless
perhaps n is the lobby and they are
not saying anything 10 mas even be
that he intended 70 include himself
when he said; The record of this
general assembly IS one that 7 he
ieve viii meet win the approval Of
the people of tins state I'm increasing
degree as the results ACCOMPLISHED
are carefully studied" At least