Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-11
NOT ATTENDING TO
BUSINESS

ONE Of the most important Of
the state boards that meet at
the capital is the state board OF
equalization. 1t is composed OF
the governor, the attorney general,
the secretary of state. the state
treasurer and the state auditor.
The law requires them ITO meet at
the state capital on the fourth Mon
day in July, and remain in session
from day to day Sundays excepted)
until the third Monday in August,
and later if the business of the
board requires. See section 1901
of the revised statutes.
Of course the trainers of this
statute did not take into account
the possibility that the governor OF
the state might, during the period
that it was his duty every day in
the week except Sundays to be at
the state capital attending to the
business of the state board OF equal
ization, be busy campaigning the
state in order to elect a new legis-
lature that would do what he told
them to do. If they had they might
have added a proviso saying that
this section should be considered
null and void whenever in the opin-
ion Of the governor a political
emergency more important
than attending to the state business.
Also the law makers might have
added a clause to the effect that it
the attorney general felt it neces-
sary to promote his interests in a
nomination for a higher political
office, such as United States sena-
tor, he should be excused from all
obligations under this section. The
trainers of the law were not far
sighted enough to provide for
these exceptions and the law stands
as quoted. Presumably the state
board of equalization is now in
daily session, but its two leading
members seem to be busy rounding
up votes all over the state.
On next Monday the county COM
missioners should meet in each
county to fix the county levy.
They cannot do this until the state
board of equalization equalizes the
taxes in the counties of the state
and fixes the assessment of rail
road property for the next year.
Until this is done the counties do
not know exactly how much prop
erty they have subject to taxation
and they cannot accurately fix the
needed levy. Meantime we read Of
the governor attending picnics and
making speeches all over the state
about reforms in taxation he favors.
One reform the governor might &C
complish right away on his own
initiative and action is to live up
to the tax laws already on the sta
tute book, by staying in the state
capital every day except Sunday
and attending to the work of the
state board Of equalization. There
are also numerous other state Off
Gals who are drawing down high
salaries who apparently find that
they are not needed in their offices
in Helena these days and are out
on a roundup for votes. Who does
their work? If there is not enough
work to keep them busy they might
drop out a clerk or two. The best
way for a candidate for new poll
teal honors to convince the voters
that he is worthy of it is to attend
strictly to the duties of the office
he already holds. If he can't find
anything that needs doing there in
order to earn his salary he is prob
ably the wrong man for the office.
They are all talking about economy
in public office these days. One
of the best ways in the world for a
public officer to economic in the
public service is to do a full DAVIS
work himself on the job he has. If
they all did that perhaps they
could get along with fewer depu-
ties. and such as they kept would
follow their example and put in
full time on the job.