American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-12-16
CHAIRMAN BOARD
COMMISSIONERS
READY FOR CUT
SAYS SACRIFICE OF MANY PRE-
SENT DAY LUXuRIES NECES-
SARY III EXPENSE OF GOVERN
MENT is TO BE REDUCED.
LEVY AS LOW AS LOWEST
Governed Have Expensive Tastes
Must Pay For Them or Eliminate
Them Entirely - Agriculture Too
Heavily Burdened.

heavily burueheus
at is not to be challenged that gov
eminent fails when the excess OF its
cost robs the people of the way to
happiness and the opportunity to
NATURALIZATION Warren G. Har-
ding.
Commissioner Earring is a warm ad-
mirer of President Harding. He Is
also In favor of lower taxes. That Is
probably why he chose the above SEN
tence from the presidents speech at
the opeaing session of the dlsarma-
ment conference as his text of the fol.
lowing article on taxation, prepared
specially for the PRESS.
Mr.. Earring, as chairman OF the
Board of County Commissioners, prob
ABLY gets as broad a view OF the tax
question as any man in the county.
He is fully aware Of the present con
ditions that make taxes seem high
and his article testiies to his sim
cerity in attempting to keep them
down, indeed bring them lower, II pos
sible. His article follows:
Taxes Must Come Down.
Taxes must come down. The ex-
pense Of government Is eating the
heart out Of agriculture, the stock
raising industry and business gener-
ally. We can resolute and legislate
until the cows come home, without
remedying the situation one mite.
The fact is, that when II becomes
cheaper to rent than to own a home,
to lease a farm instead Of to buy IL,
to put money In safe ~tax-exempt Sc
c~urities than invest II In industry and
real estate, the very foundation Of
our government Is threatened.
"This condition has occurred be-
|, fore, of course. IL came following
I the Civil wal and | am reminded OF
that famous remark Of President
/ Grant, who, when asked how he was
going to resume normal industrial
and economic life, replied "The way
. to resume is to resume. | am OF the
/ opinion that the way to cut taxes III
to cut taxes. Probably everyone, or
the great majority, at least, will agree
that this Is An admirable policy, and
3 should be carried out. The county
@ commissioners Of Power county, J am
r. frank TO say, are willing TO do their
= part.
As Good Az The Best
y ~ ~ WIN hO opiiiN VI pp"ohhHs
@ ness that / say, Az any commissions
or county official in this county might
II say. that as far as economy in gov.
e eminent Is concerned, Power county
d is Az good as the best. Our yer,
70 low tax levy has not thus far i'm
a paired the efficiency OF our admins
~trstion. Neither have we had to Gu
out various departments or cripple
our various administrative branches
y TO achieve these ends. Our presen
tag seems 10 me as low M II can pos
sibly be in present circumstances, ye
we hear endless complaints.
Just a day or 30 ago | received
letter from an old friend and tax
payer who has removed TO Califor
ne MIA. He feels sure that there liz some
thing wrong about his taxes. Ii
fact, he states that he had rathe
ar turn his land over 10 the county thal
m pay this years taxes. His case
m similar 10 dozens Of others. Refiec
~ that our county tax Is as low IL no
lower than any other in the state an
" you can readily see what the genera
situation Is. Reflect also that IL cost
money TO govern and the governe
IN often have expensive tastes.
Went Modern ConvenIences.
at "For instance, take our publ
as schools. We must have every cor
rs yenience for our childrcn's education
US We insist that they shall not wal
OF over a mile or so 10 school, with III
os result that In many districts we hay
Ts five six or a dozen pupils. tn
lis teacher must be paid, regardless {
I'm the number Of students she teache
Buildings must be erected and keI
in repair. Expense (~taxes) are tr'
~mcndously increased. Are we viii
ing 10 pay7 Our record shows tn,
Ike we have been. Ia there a solution thi
at win Tighten the burden? Would col
Ice solidated school districts be less g.
he ~pensiye7 Perhaps there is a field
by work in.
Mr. "Or take our farm bureau. La
Ich year II cost the county S2G54
he maintain the farm bureau and coun.
m agent In this county. Was II wor'
Of the money? The records show tn
'as u farmers have wanted the far
ht- bureau. Would they sacrifice d
work Of years to reduce their taxi
Consider our roads. While tn
es- are not under county jurisdiction,
Q re the aouoa time the, optaw lnxoaI., 4.