The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-04-07
CHAPTER XIII

Chapter XIII
The last eight chapters on this
subject have been merely announce
ments regarding the investigation
while the armistice was on. These
announcements numbered from A to
H were published under the flag Of
the allies, with the hope that when
the tax commission made its report
to the county central committee, II
would take such action regarding
the assessors department that we
should have nothing further to dc
than to publish their report and tell
what the county central committee
did to get. that department to op-
Grating as it should. Many of the
citizens had remarked that If one
half of what we had published was
true, the assessor ought to resign
and since we knew that it was all
true, we naturally expected that IL
the report showed that it was all
true, that they would Immediately
ask the assessor for his resignation
One would think that the assessor
would beat them to it by laying his
resignation on the table the minute
that they finished reading report
that was against him. In this case
neither Of those things happened and
the surprising feature about it was
that the assessor got up in the meet
ing and told them he proposed to 60
right on with some of the practices
complained of, and they still did not
ask him for his resignation nor de-
mand it. Both the Republican county
central committee and all three mem
bers of the board of county commits
sioners were present and heard the
report and witnessed the attitude Of
the assessor and took it all without
retort excepting from Smith and
Dance.
One man when he was being
twitted about the matter said, why,
I never thought Of asking for his
resignation" Another one said
why, there's no law for 1t, we
couldn't fire him." One would think
that the law Of common decency and
self respect would suggest that II q
man had operated q department for
six wears and had not learned the
fundamentals about the work and
dcne it right. had showi. himself un-
able or unwilling to learn and had
made declaration that he did not
propose to change his ways, and did
net have any idea what he would do
or could do in lettering his work for
tine future, one would think that even
the school children would be able to
tell him what to do, that is, resign
and give somebody else the work. 1t
was understood from the start of the
work of the tax commission that this
was public business and the public
wanted to know and it was the pub
lies representatives that were doing
the investigating and just to show
you what a brilliant lot there are on
the county central committee Of the
Republican party, let us tell you
something that happened. 1t was
generally conceded by them that the
report would have to be made known
to the public, but none of them
wanted to make the motion to
give the report to the press for pub
LEGATION. 1t seemed that some of
them had talked it over among them
selves and each one had felt that he
did not want to make the motion to
make it public and they had an
understanding among them that be-
fore they adjourned, somebody would
have to make motion to give this
matter to the press and each one was
laying low because he did not want
to be the one to do it. One would
think that in a fine bunch of patriots
each one would want the honor Of
making the move to make the mat
ter public. You would think that
they would be scrambling for the
floor to get to make such a motion.
You would think that each one would
be afraid that the public would think
he was not willing and anxious to
have 1t made public, but 1t appears
now that each one was afraid that
he would offend the assessor or some
friend of the assessor by asking that
this report so damaging to the as
SCISSOR, should be published. 1t seems
they did not fear or have any regard
for the public or the public opinion,
but they feared the discredited asses
sor and what he might think of them.
Report Of the Tax Commission
Following is a verbatum report of
Tho tay e0m ission.
To the Republican County Central
Committee of Bingham County,
Idaho,
o. Buchanan, chairman.
We, your committee heretofore APP
pointed to examine into the records
Of the assessors office of Bingham
county. touching certain matters
published in the Idaho Republican
In relation to the work of the asses |
sor's Office during the years of 1917,
1918, 1919, and 1920, beg to report
rs follows:
1. In regard to the statements in |
said paper concerning the law re-
ating to the definition, classifica-
lion, value, time and manner Of as
,essing, we find that the statements |
Of the law in the various issues Of
,aid paper were literally correct,
,ave and except two, and that in
hose two instances the substance Of
he Sections Of the Statute were cor