The Nevada County picayune., 1922-07-27


 But it is my desire to fasten this canard upon Toney and his colabora- tors It's significance is of little value to an intelligent reading public. In truths are usually self-defeating in politics. Half truths are worse than whole lies, and are intended to be even more dangerous to the characters of good men than base slander I have lived to little purpose if I can be hurt by such reckless and untruth- full statements These men were not my oppointees. On the contrary, they were appointed by former governors. and both of them opposed my election. One was on a board, the other on commission that I considered useless and which l urged the General As sembly to abolish That they are not in office now is due to the watchful- ness of two of my appointees on the Tax Commission and Board of Con trol-Epps Brown and John lobe
 The Fourteenth Amendment.
 It has been charged that I am the author of the 14th amendment. I am not. l did not sign the petition to in- itiate it. never saw it in it's present form until it had been initiated When l did see it, I did not approve of all of its provisions. Until recently thought there was in it more good than bad I was very anxious for the school districts to have the right to vote such taxes as they wanted. and to get this I felt that it would be best to adopt it. think differently now, and will not vote for it. Besides, it is now clear to me that it cannot be adopted A large majority of the people are op posed to it, and any further effort on the part of it's friends to adopt it would do the cause of education ir- reparable injury. Those who set their hearts on this amendment as the only
 
 it's failure dampen their ardor or be- numb their energies. The General As sembly has so misused the power to tax in the matter of roads, that the people will not trust them with un- 'limited power to tax on any subject. The people are, however, deeply con- cerned about education. and l think can be depended upon 10 finance any sane. rational educa ti0nal program. There are many sources of revenue yet untapped. with which we can build up an educational fund The commission I have appointed will soon report. When we know what we have and what we need, believe we can depend upon the people to finance it.
 But some of the provisions of this amendment are inconsistent with the plan that l announced during the early part of this year for revising our rev enue laws.
 Plans New Measure.
 It is my desire, between now and the meeting of the next General Assembly, to have prepared revenue measure which will raise sufficient income to pay all the expenses of the state. in cluding school and pension, without any state property tax. If from other sources we can get sufficient revenue to do this, the counties can make their own assessments, or tax levies. or both, to suit the necessities of each county. We will then get rid of the great dis parity in assessments throughout the state. There will be no longer any necessity for the low assessments. or low levieS in some counties. and the high assessments or levies in others. In some counties in this state the assessment is as low as twenty per cent. and in other counties they need one hundred per cent. Now if the property taxes are used only for eoun- ty. city. town and school purposes, there would be no difficulty in getting what was needed As it is now, it has been impossible 10 equalize these assessments throughout the state There is no call for long speech but | did want to answer the un- reasonable and unfair charges made against me and my administratio in regard to the financial situatio and the penitentary