The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-01-10
MODIFY TAX
and PRIMARY
LAWN CRAY
New Chief Executive in Mes
sage to Legislature Recon-
mends Changes-Urges En-
actment of Few Laws.
PLEADS FOR ECONOMY
CBy Associated Press)


| INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 10.-Governor
! tive of Indiana, launched his ship of
! state this afternoon soon after his in
auguration with message to the state
| legislature in which ne asked for modi-
fication of the primary enc tax laws.
| He also urged enactment of few new
! laws, and declared for a policy of rigid
/ economy in state expenditures.
Few specific recommendations for
| legislation were recommended by the
| new governor, but he supplemented
| these with suggestions and advice to
guide the lawmakers during the next
sixty days. Governor McCray's spe-
| cific legislative proposals included
adoption of budget system, steps to-
ward preserving the sand dunes by
creation of state park and the per
manent registration of voters.
Urges Advancement.
| In opening his speech, the governor
! declared his attitude was "to recon-
mend rather than demand" legislation
| that he said would assure advance
ment. and in declaring for economy he
| asked that sufficient funds be granted
state institutions so as not to prevent
their development and also for making
Indiana the leader in educational
| affairs.
Without reference to the home
rule" law, enacted six months ago.
Governor McCray proposed it's change
| so that appeal might be taken to the
| state tax board on levies and bond
! issues fixed by local taxing units. He
| approved the present tax law in prin-
ciple, but proposed that power be
vested in the state tax board to sug.
gest readjustment by local officials of
tax levies, the discard of the ''inquisi-
| tor1al list regarding household goods"
and the final determination by Oct 1
or the tax assessments of corporations
| Would Modify Primary.
| The modification of the primary pro-
posed by Governor McCray-would re-
suit in state conventions, composed of
delegates chosen by all voters, nomin-
ating the candidates for the United
States congress, state offices and dele
gates to national political conventions
! Local city, county and township off
GERS and party precinct committeeman,
he proposed, should continue to be
chosen at the primary
| Opening the address, Governor Nc.
Cray declared his attitude toward a
legislative program for the present
session and his belief in economy, not
however, at the cost of essential i'm
provements at state institutions.
1T is perhaps unnecessary" he said
! for me to say that | am inclined to
look with disfayor upon the enactment
of a great mass of legislation. The
| people of Indiana desire most of all
an efficient, business like. economical
administration, and to that end
earnestly solicit the conscientious and
| continued cooperation of all the mem
bers of the general assembly through
out the present legislative session"
Pleads for Economy.
| Then shifting to economy. Governor
McCray declared to the legislators:
Il urge you to scrutinize in a most
business like and careful manner eve
ry public expenditure. While we must
not practice economy to the extent
that the state shall not continue tu
function properly In the performance
of it's bounden duty, nevertheless we
must expunge and reduce every un-
necessary or ill-advised expenditure
and postpone those items Of expense
which in the light of the present busi-
ness outlook might be met more eco
nomically at some future date. We
must arrive at conclusions which shall
not tend to either extreme"
AS corrolary to his plea for economy
the governor advocated the adoption
j of budget system for controlling the
state expenditures, declaring a mea-
sure embodying the proposal would be
! introduced in the legislature.
Urges Budget Bill.
I'm the interest of good govern
ment," said Governor McCray, referr-
| ing to the budget bill, Il shall be great
| 1I MI od o1l he ,har tho;,
way clear to support it earnestly. No
public undertaking could better ad-
vance the. best interests of the people
of Indiana than an intelligent expendi-
ture of their public funds"
! Endorsement of the principle OF the
present tax law of assessment on true
cash value was given by the new
governor in proposing changes, in
cluding those in the home rule" law
which he declared would curb prod
igal and wasteful expenditure of the
peoples money"
| Il suggest" said Governor McCray.
that the fixing of the tax rates
should remain with the local taxing
officers. but some provisions should be
made for an appeal to the state tax
board for final determination in case
there is a protest filed against such
rates in the form Of a remonstrance or
petition signed bv not less than fifty
tax payers from the taxing unit where
in the contest arises and representing
on the tax duplicates not less than
500, 900 of taxable property.
Tax Changes.
| "I furthermore recommend that ap.
peals be provided for in like manner,
respecting the matter of bond issues
| by any taxing unit: and in all such
cases OF appeal, regarding either the
matter of tax 1evies or bond Issues, full
and final authority should be vested In
the tax board to confirm, reduce, IN
crease or reject such levies and issues
as it may deem wise, just and ex-
| pedient.
81 also recommend that whenever IL
shall appear to the state board of tax
commissioners that the assessments in
any county are not uniform or equal.
either as to local units or as to classes
or property. that it be made the duty
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