The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-03-14
The Tax Forum
Everybody's Comments

Doctor Hoover suggests that we
ought to have law requiring people
to settle their ordinary taxes just
as Uncle Sam requires people to set,
tie their income tax If every man
had to deliver his business statement
or a statement of ownership of prop
erty to the assessor, SO that the as
sessor had nothing to do but to see
them and keep the record, it would
wipe out all this expense and trouble
of the assessor travelling over the
country. 1t would put the responsi-
bility upon each individual to get his
tax record delivered into the asses
sor's office. Some of them would
probably have to make a special trip
to the county seat just to attend to
that little errand, but most of them
would bring it along when making
the trip or mail it in.
Assessor Malcolm says they have
some such law as that in Oregon or
Washington, he is not sure which,
and that man places his own valua-
ton on his property with the under
standing that if he is offered that
amount for it, he has to sell it. Some
| bystander remarked that that would
never do as man might value his
home at what it was actually worth,
! but not be willing to sell it at that.
Some man trying to get his
home away because of it's par
ticularly good location or it's
improvements or the beauty of
the grounds, might take ad-
vantage of that situation to take
it away from him. Mr.. Malcolm said
he supposed there was some provision
that that was only operative in case
there was a dispute or the man re-
fused to pay his taxes; he had not
studied it carefully enough to know
just what the protection was.
Some joker got after Trego to go
and look UP the assessment on stocks
of goods owned by firms that put on
special sales and tell what mammoth
stocks of goods they have to select
from. The joker "bawled" Trego out
pretty strong and said, "Now, these
men advertise with you and if they
make extravagant statements about
the size of their stocks and if their
assessed valuation doesn't harmonic
with their advertising. why don't you
go and 'baWl' them out thru your old
paper. / dare you to do that with
your advertisers. If you did they
would quit you in a minute and leave
you stranded"
Men from the country are remark
ing that the roads were never drag
ged so good or in such fine condition
as now. They are remarking that
when job is turned over to the
farmers to do, 1t is done promptly and
is well done. When the county hired |
men to go out and drag the roads.
they did not work with interest like |
they do now. Men who go out to
drag the roads now, study carefully |
to do it just at the right time and the |
right way to fill up the holes and |
leave the road bed in good condition.
Somebody who has been travelling
the road between Blackfoot and |
Aberdeen says the road is like a
boulevard down to Thomas From
Thomas to Swan Berg's place, it is
not so good as IL it had been dragged
about one more time. From the
lower end of the Berg place starting
at the upper end of Mr.. Knodle's
place and from there in to Pingree,
he road is reported in an awful con-
1ition, not having been dragged at
Ill. People will remember that two
years ago when we were considering
The subject of bonding to get money
% build the roads, there was great
lproar in the Pingree country and a
number of fellows were opposing the
'ond issue. They said there would be
graft, extravaganza and waste and
hat three-fourths of the money
would be wasted and one-fourth Of
t devoted to road building. Some
If them were opposed to it because
hey did not believe the roads would
,e built down thru their community
IN the line they wanted it on. Not
all this talk the people
# the county voted the bonds, built
he road, built it thru the Pingree
country where the Pingree people
wanted it, put it all in good condi-
ion and when this very wet winter
punched it full of holes and the
county commissioners invited the
'ublic to repair the roads without
'ay, and without having it charged
Up to them in their taxes, this Pin
rec section is said to be the worst
n the county. One of the leaders in ,
he opposition to good roads thru the
'ingree country is quoted now as say
ng that if he had 10000 horses with
he harness on and 1000 drags stand
ng idle he would not let one of them
% out and drag the roads that he
i'd not get any pay for. .
Our Candidate Peeved
In a crowd Of fellows discussing the !
Dads, one of them remarked that
ertain candidate for office here,
Ian who was telling what great =,
Kings he would do in road manage
lent If he were elected, did not do 1
ny road dragging this fall and did
OF do any road dragging this spring :
hen the neighbors were dragging
pads. 6
Just to show that not all candi-
ates are peeved or selfish or lacking
! public spirit, some other fellow r
lentioned a neighbor OF his who was
candidate for office and defeated Z
nd said he has been out dragging
le roads and that the section in In
ont Of his farm is as smooth as a
oulevard. =