Omaha daily bee., 1922-04-06
Economy Only Method
to Reduce Taxation

tO NeuuCC dAdtlOii
t,aniinasi Prom fsgs onsi
practice removed 20 give plaee 10
those OF another political hue, \
merit system oi employment, OF civil
service - properly administered ~
would save the money OF tie pea'
pie. both IN Omaha and IN all di7
visions oi government clear w 10
that OF the state,
Tax Methods Obsolete.
II il can he said that the pragTess
Of public administration has not
kept pace with human progress N
other liner. how much more tue u
this OF taxation methods. The pres
ent system arose out oi primitive
conditions. uneomplieated by the .eNs
is,enee OF great masses OF capital,
railroads. ,elegTaphs. corporations OF
even large factories. Crude and lni'
perfect though il is. wise suggestions
for reform must he moderate. is the
balance OF lie is disturbed by moth
ing 20 easily a. by sudden changes ~
the manner OF revenue getting.
4 suggestion worth consideration -
is that Tor separation OF state and
local sources OF revenue. The prop
erty tax nigh, he LETT 10 cities, eonn-
ties and school districts, while the
state would get its support from
taxation oi such possible sources as
railroads, inheri,anccs. income. eS-
press companies and corporations.
This would do away with all ques-
tioning such as now over the vary
ing levels OF assessment by county
boards. However. II is complicated
matter. inaSinuch as many school
districts and other subdivisions now
are depending on railroad taxes. and
the inheritance tax is collected hy
each county for permanent road
work. Such suggestion at least
emphasizes the intricate nature oi
the revenue problem. 1t is not CO.
ing to be solved overnight, nor by
oratory.
Commission Needed.
Questions concerning methods OF
assessing and collecting. including
the proposition OF classifying prop
crty for taxation at different rates,
must be left unanswered until there
is a public demand ior revision.
One OF the few boards left I'M
touched by the state administrative
code is the board OF equalization and
assessment. II the tax system is to
be made more uniform and efficient.
this must be supplanted by tax
commission, consisting preferably OF
three men. these to put their whole
effort into improving methods.
Elimination of number OF cleo
tive state jobs and more reliance on
the code system can be recommend
ed. As things stand now. the con-
stitutional convention, by failing to
cut off these Jobs, left the state gov
crnment in the condition OF pa
ticnt who, having been put on diet
by the doctor, observes the diet and
cats a regular meal in addition.
Co-Ordinated Purchasing.
A program that would centralize
the location of at least new state
institutions and further limit legs-
lative log-rolling is likewise to be
sought. No business man would
dream of applying the administra-
tive methods to his own affairs that
he accepts as natural in government.
More co-ordinated purchasing meth
DDS are advisable from top to bot
tom for the benefit of the taxpayer.
The tax committee of the Nebras-
ka Farm Bureau Federation has
taken hold of the problem of the tax
dodger, who is, after all, an impor-
tant factor in high taxes. The
farmers are considering asking each
county board to publish personal tax
lists of 1921 for their influence ON
the returns that are now being made
up by assessors. The experience OF
counties where these tax lists have
been published is that the personal
property returned has been increased
in some instances Is per cent be-
cause of this publicity. The cost OF
having this printed ranges from $500
to $1,000. A cheaper method now
being tried out in some northern
counties is to prepare and post in
each precinct all itemized list. 1t is
said that the public interest is wild
ly absorbed" in it.
Many rural communities are in
difficulties over the expense of rum
ming their schools. The most feas-
ible method of saving at this point is
by a policy of larger classes and
fewer teachers. In some instances
costly courses entailing laboratory
work might be given only every
other year.
1t will be found that the natural
of superintendents for
fine educational plant has led occa-
sional communities to spend beyond
their means. The misconception has
got about that the state university is
pressing for every school district to
get on the highest accredited list
This is not true, and no district
should expand unless it has the
means easily at hand. Some, schools
are dropping the most expensive part
Of their curriculum, the mechanical
and domestic arts courses, and econ-
by sticking more closely to
the "three Rs" and the cultural
courses.
Must Apply Pruning Knife.
The difficulty in discussing taxa
ton is that scarcely any two men
will agree on the rights and the
wrongs of it. There is not even
agreement on the underlying theories.
The people generally have not been
in taxation, but only irri-
tated by it.
The certainty is that taxes cannot
be- reduced until less money is spent.