The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-02-21
Chapter VIII.

| Chapter VIII. a..
There are some odd difficulties
about Investigating the tax question
that you would not think of until you
got into the job. may tell you
about them some time, but not yet
Six or seven years ago when was
investigating the tax question and re.
porting on 1t every week to the pub
lie, 1t was source Of constant sur
prise to me that people got so sore
! about the publication Of the facts
| In the work that am doing this
time, it has been a source of surprise
to me that people take it so good
naturally. Everybody seems inter
| ested and they accept the publicity
in the spirit of true craftsmanship.
The sentiment that prevails with
most people is that they want to pay
their share of the taxes. If they have
not been paying they want the as
SCISSOR to visit them and get them on
the roll for whatever is right. In the
! last issue we mentioned the real
estate men as paying practically no
taxes on their business. That was a
genuine surprise to the public. But
there are other businesses that do
not pay any taxes and they are not
bankrupt either. A thoro search of
the records fails to disclose any taxes
paid by the dentists on their bust
ness. If a dentist has real estate of
course he pays on that just like any
body else. If man opens up a
grocery store and puts in little
stock Of goods worth $1,000 or $4,000
he pays a good stiff tax on it, but if
he opens up dental office and ex-
pends the same amount of money for
furniture and instruments he pays
nothing as taxes.
done to your teeth, you will find that
the dentist charges you big prices
for his work; he charges you more
for his time than any other artisan
you can find. You grumble about
paying 81 an hour for a plumbers
services, but if you have dentist
working on your teeth, you will not
get off at 81 an hour or anything ap-
preaching 81 an hour" Some of the
work comes to several dollars an
hour.
The only tax which the dentist
pays is the income tax, and the auto
mobile license, the hunting license
and the fishing license. The dentist
does not pay any tax on his business
nor on his equipment, yet modern
dental office requires an investment
in equipment that would be enough
to stock pretty fair grocery store.
For example, there is the Blackfoot
City Grocery on North Main street,
that pays $104 for 1920 and the little
dab of stock they have on their
shelves could not be sold for enough
in boom times to buy a dental out
fit, The dentist does not pay any
taxes to support the state govern
ment the county government. the
city government nor the schools.
Think IF it! Educated professional
men not doing anything to support
the schools unless they do it out of an
investment in home or something
like that. The dentist does not pay
to support the state officers.
the universities, the normals, the
penitentiaries, the aSylums, the deaf
and dumb school, the Idaho Tech nor |
the reform school. All of those things /
have to be supported by the taxes
paid by the other fellows, not the |
dentists. They do not pay anything |
to support the court house and the |
officers in it., to maintain the sheriff S |
office, the superintendent office, the |
of education, the police
force, the fire DEPARTMENT, the street |
sprinkler nor to keep up the schools.
Unless they own some real estate |
hey do not pay cent towards the
of their own children out
side of the family expenses. They
cave that for the other people to pay.
The dentists are not to blame for
his; they have paid all the taxes
hey have been asked to pay, but they
rave not been assessed anything We
rave three dentists Offices in Black
DOT that do not pay cent of taxes
# any kind. A careful search of the
'ecords does not disclose the name
If B H. Hudson, Charles Mackey, Dr.
3ernhisel and in the case of DR.. Hoge
lie is assessed for his home just as
,ther people and for 500 on house
lold goods. Then there are the
Drs. Mcfarland and F. A.
Sloan, whose names are not on the
assessment rolls at all, DR.. F. A.
'lodquist, the chiropractor, not as
essed for his office nor equipment
md machinery, tho he has remarked
hat he has $4,000 worth of equip
nent in his office. He was assessed
or 500 of household goods. DR..
'atrie is not assessed for his Office
Dr.. Jackson pays on $3.50 worth of
household goods; F. w. Mitchell,
me of the oldest and best physicians
n town, pays only on 800 worth
f household goods, but in addition
o his office he has a hospital on
which he pays $297.S0 taxes. He, of
curse, pays on his home the same as
ther people. DR.. ]. B. Davis pays {
100 on his household goods; w. w.
'eck 500 on household goods, tho !
e has an elaborate office with fine !
quipment including an X-ray ma
hine and fine lot of instruments.
We do not know the value, but the t
SCISSORS business is to find out. g
ZACH of these physicians who has a
ONE pays on his home and 500 liz
ousehold goods, but nothing on the
usiness, DR.. Simmons pays nothing
n his business; DR.. Hampton pays
1 L