The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-01-24
HIGH TAXES NOT
POLITICAL ISSUE
STATE TAX SPECIALIST SAYS TOO
MANY FRILLS IN STATE
GOVERN MENT


The article published below, from
the Emmett Index, aside from con-
tanning some sensible thoughts on
taxation from John Robertson, state
tax specialist, contains some interest
ing figures on taxation:
Not Political Issue
Takes are not political issue,"
declared John Robertson, state tax
specialist, in a non-political address
before the Boise Realty Board. EFF
forts of either political party to drag
this acute problem into politics only
serves to camouflage and distort one
of the things that only united and
conscientious effort can solve.'
He declared that no political party
was to blame for the condition, that
1t was the taxpayers alone; that the
legislature was asked to take control
of, supervise, build some structure or
move another until expenses had
mounted so high that in many places
in Idaho the tax on property was
more than the value of the property.
To show the people how badly Ida
ho was off financially, Mr.. Robertson
declared that its three fundamental
crops were alfalfa, wheat and live
stock. He then stated if every acre
of land between Payette and the east
boundary line of the state was plant
ed to alfalfa and it could be sold for
81, which it would not now bring, it
would not pay the states Indebtedness.
He continued that not enough wheat
was raised by many thousands of bus
hels last year to pay the Indebtedness
and further that it would take all the
cattle, hogs and sheep and part of
the horses to pay the bill. He de-
clared these conditions showed that
too much toll was being taken from
the people for taxes not leaving them
enough to pay the expenses and up
keep of a place and a family.
During the last two years Mr.. Rob-
ertson explained that the cost of gov
ernment had exceeded the increase in
the value of property. This condition
he showed, meant but one thing, that
the people of Idaho had added to its
governmental machine to such an eX-
tent that it required more grease than
they could afford to give it.
Mr.. Robertson declared that Idaho
had got to do away with a lot of
frills in its government, state, coun-
ties and municipalities and also in
the schools or the tax burden would
mean ruination to the state.
After citing these conditions and
giving numerous figures to show how
taxes had raised and how bad condi-
tions really were, the speaker said
that the remedy was to cut expenses
all along the line to the bone, pass a
bill for the supervision, direction and
control of taxes and do away with a
number of departments in state, coun-
ty, city and school governments. By
making a cut, he explained, he did not
wish to be understood to mean the
cutting of salaries of clerks and
stenographers, but when cuts were to
be made to start from the governor
down in the state and from commits
sionerS down in the county and so on.
Mr. Robertson declared that any poll
tican who declared he would save the
public money by cutting the salaries
of clerks and stenographers did not
know what he was talking about and
would be dangerous man to be in
charge of the affairs of government.
Figures quoted by Mr. Robertson
showed that in 1913 the valuation of
1920 was $502, ,305 ,993, or an increase
of 74,752 ,903, or an increase of lib
per cent.
In 1913 the population was 357 ,475,
and in 1920 was 4S1 ,S66, an increase
of 74,391. or POS per cent.
The total taxes raised in 1913
amounted to $S,619, ,63727, and in 1920
were ISL ,336.4S, an increase of
$11, 1851 ,699.21, or 199 per cent.
The total cost of state government
in 1913 was $10,10S, ,S0149, and in
1920 was $24 ,511 ,336.4S, an increase
of $14, ,462 ,534.99, or 143 per cent.
The cost per capita of government.
in 1913 was s2S2S, and in 1920 S59.90.
The per capita tax in 1913 was $24.11,
and in 1920 was S42.63.
The speaker showed that education
received 43.7 of the total cost of gov
ernment The school attendance IN
1913 was 67,093. and the cost per cap
ita was $5072, while in 1920 the at
tendance increased to S3,919 and the
cost per capita was $103.32
The figures given showed that in
1913 the public bonded Indebtedness
in the state was s14, 1885, ,663.50, and
while it was not known at present
what it is now, Mr.. Robertson said
conservative estimate was S55, 1885,
$685. so or an increase of SAL 100000,
or 2S9 per cent.
These figures show that the per
capita debt in 1913 was $20.59, and in
1920 $12779, and the annual interest,"
charge is S3,311 200, or daily inter-
est of $9,071.7S, and figured hourly
amounted to 1913.