Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1920-10-21

ment by robbing local communities d
their right to assess their own pro
perry. Il is further vicious IN that 4
sends lawyers and politicians from tia
cities into rural communities to asses
farm lands.
The last General Assembly was pro
al in appropriating the enormous
sum of $4,000 for the administration
for two years of Governor Roberts tax
law. BY April /, the Emergency Board
to which had been voted 100000, had
increased this appropriation to $11O,'
600, and must increase 1t further from
time to time IL the present board OF
hungry tax gatherers are to be paid
and maintained by the tax payers.
II its present payroll is continued,
this tax machine will cost the state for
the two-yea- period approximately
100000.
Governor Roberts tax law is further
vicious in that it devoiyes upon the
railroad commission to equalize the
assessments, and to raise or lower the
taxes on every home and farm in the
state. The same board has for years
exercised the power of assessing rail
roads, telegraphs and telephones, and
uuuef Ine TtoVsrts plan, these utility
corporations will pay to the treasurer
Oh Tue state approximately several
hundred thousand dollars less than
they have paid under the cid system.
Where will this amount be made up
except from the farmers and the small
home owners?
CD Governor Roberts should not be
Endorsed by the Democrats of Tennes-
see because of another measure los
tered and sponsored by him, known as
the Public Utilities Act, which Las
enabled the State Railroad Commission
to override the wishes Of local COM
munities and to destroy solemn con-
tracts entered into between the cities
OF Tennessee and certain public util-
tiles. Ruin must inevitably face the
cities of this state If every bad con-
tract a city makes must be performed
by the city, and if every good con-
tract the city makes is to be set aside
by the state commission.
This measure was foisted on the
Legislature and the people with the
assertion that it was the same act
which had been passed in the State or
New Jersey under the administrator
Of Governor Woodrow Wilson, but up
on examination and analysis 1t has
been reported by competent attorneys
that there are thirty-six important and
essential differences and departures
from that act. Under it the small
consumer of gas, water and lights In
a municipality must make his appeal
to Nashville If his meter is misread.
In very nearly every one OF the cities
of the state the public service corpora
tions have been permitted to destroy
their contracts and franchises and to
increase their rates against the people,
and, at the same time the same COM
mission, acting as a taxing board, has
so assessed them as actually to
reduce the amount of taxes they will
pay.
Under this act the Railroad Commits
sion Of the state fixes the amount the
people have to pay for car fare, cleo
tric lights, gas and water. This bill
is vicious and should be repealed, and
the power to deal with these utility
corporations restored to the commune
ties in which they operate.
Administration ls Extravagant
80 Governor Roberts administra-
ton should not be approved because
it has been extravagant. In eleven
months, despite the fact that the Gov
ernor has Numbered much in his mes
sages about economy, he has ex-
hausted the appropriation for the ex-
pense of his Office, and every cent ex-
pended by him for its maintenance for
the remainder of the biennial period |
has been, and will be, In violation Of
law and in excess of the emount appro-
priated for this purpose by the General
Assembly.
Sollowfng the personal example of
the Governor, each department of the
state has seemed to vie with each
other in attempting to keep pace with
the Governor in the riotous waste Of
the peoples money until poor old Ten
nessee stands abashed today, with
head hung low, its credit exhausted,
and facing deficit of nearly two mil
lions of dollars at the end of this year.
An audit of the states finances will |
show that recent statements are mis-
leading and incorrect Instead of
balance as shown, there is deficit of
approximately $1,5OO,O00 and though
the taxes have been but recently paid
into the state treasury, and for the
remainder of the year disbursements
win far exceed receipts.
Five hundred thousand dollars was
appropriated by Governor Roberts
Legislature to fund to be expended
by the Emergency Board, of which the
Governor is chairman. BY this board
money his been appropriated to pur-
poses for which the Legislature would
never have granted appropriations.
At time when the market for state
and municipal securities of all kinds is
very much depressed, and the difficulty
increases daily In the sale of bonds,
the need of retrenchment and economy
is doubly apparent.
II the State of Tennessee continues
to be administered as in the past two
years by Governor Roberts, 1t is GER
tain to reach a point when 1t will be
for 1t to pay its current ex-
penseg
state Board In Politics.
ca Governor Roberts should not be