The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-01-13
TAX PROBLEMS
In BINGHAM
Taxes on Migratory
Stock Lost Thru
lnef6ciency

A few years ago the Idaho law was
amended regarding the assessing and
collecting of taxes on migratory
stock. The assessor had been given
authority to collect the cash on the
migratory stock at the time of assess
ment. The law was amended to
make these taxes payable to the
county treasurer and the treasurer
had no knowledge of the migratory
stock in the county until the books
we're turned over to him in the fall.
BY that time the migratory stock
might be in Kansas City or Chicago.
For the year 1917 this county lost
$2855.48 on migratory stock which
the assessor might have collected at
the time of assessing If he had
authority to do so. In the year 1918
we lost $4,000 from the same cause.
After that they arranged 1t so the
assessor has the authority to make
the collections.
People in the Aberdeen country
say that four trainloads of cattle
were unloaded at Sterling and taken
back on the range in the month of
May and no assessment and no pay
ment for them was made. They ate
up lot of our Bingham county grass
and then got out of the country.
They evaded the payment of taxes in
all other counties for the few weeks
they were in Bingham county and
got out Of Bingham without paying
their share of the maintenance of
the county government. But If some
cattle thief had stolen one of their
calves during the time they were
within our county, they would not
have hesitated to apply to the officers
Of this county for service in running
them down no matter how much it
cost. When people accept the pro-
lection Of the government or any
branch of the government, they
should be willing to pay their share
of the taxes. If they are not will
ing to pay them, they should be made
to pay them anyhow When a man
comes into the county with a herd
1t is probably little difficult to de-
termine how much to charge him be-
cause it may not be known just how
long he will remain within the /
county depending on weather condi-
tions and perhaps other matters of
uncertainty. Some people say they
ought to be assessed a plenty, but We
are not justified in dealing harshly
with them because some of them
come into the county at a time when
they are preparing to winter and
they buy our hay thus making mar
ket and putting money into circula-
tion in our county. To deal harshly
with them and thus discourage them
from coming back again is to destroy
the market for our hay. After all
the only way to administer govern
ment is to administer with an eye to
equal and exact justice and officers
are always safe in doing that. When
we lost $4,000 in 1917 and $4,000 in
1918 on migratory stock, either the
acting officials were not doing their
duty or If they were too busy to at
tend to it, it would have been profit
able to us to have had a deputy to
keep looking after that kind Of work.
For instance, If the people at Aber-
deem reported the unloading of four
trainloads of cattle down there and
there had been deputy at liberty to I
get right out and look after the as
sessment and the collection of the
taxes, this county would have had
more money. We are not informed
whether this shipment of stock
evaded the payment of taxes thru
negligence on the part of the acting
officers or for lack of help.