The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1922-01-19
HIGH TAXES A MENACE
TO STATE
Not a Political Issue Cut Out
Frills in State, County,
School

/ Taxes are not political issue,
declared John Robertson, state ia,
specialist, in a non-political address
before the Boise Realty Board. "Ef
forts of either political party to drae
| this acute problem into politics only
serves to camouflage and distort ont
of the things that only united anc
conscientious effort can solve"
He declared that no political party
was to blame for the condition, that
it was the taxpayers alone; that the
legislature was asked to take control
of, supervise, build some structure OF
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 we're 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 place and 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.
hesshowed, meant but one thing, that
the people of Idaho had added to its
governmental machine to such an ex-l
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. i
After citing these conditions and
giving numerous figures to show how
axes had raised and how bad condi-
ions really were, the speaker said
hat the remedy was to cut expenses
III along the line to the bone, pass "a
ill for the supervision, direction and
ontrol Of taxes and do away with >
lumber Of departments in state, coun- |
y, city and school governments. By
making cut, he explained, he did not
wish to be understood to mean the
utting of salaries of clerks and
tenographers, but when cuts were to
e made to start from the governor
own in the state and from commits
toner's down in the county and so on.
ir. Robertson declared that any poll
ican who declared he would save the /
ublic money by cutting the salaries
clerks and stenographers did not
now what he was talking about and
'ould be dangerous man to be in
barge of the affairs of government.
Figures quoted by Mr.. Robertson
lowed that in 1913 the valuation Of
le state was 1927 $3.50 and in {
,20 was O2,305 1893, or an increase
81, ,9O3, or an increase of IT'S
n cent.
In 1913 the population was S57.l76,
I'd in 1920 was 431;866, an increase I
1922, or 20.8 per cent.
The total taxes raised in 1871 .
to 8,619,637 q, and in 1920
ere $2O,57l ,336.48, an increase ofI
/ y951, ,699.21, or 139 per cent. t
The total cost of state government
1918 was SO, ,108, ,8O1, ,49, and in Z
20 was $24,511 ,336.48, an increase
9l4,462,524.90, or 143 per cent.
The cost per capita Of government
1913 was SIS. %, and in 1920 $59. 80 e
le per capita tax in 1918 was $2l,11. n
d In 1920 was $l2.63. r
The speaker showed that education :
ceived 43.7 of the total cost of gov Y
nment. The school attendance in il
Is was 1908, and the cost per cap
! was $51.72, while in 1920 the at
ldAnce increased to SO ,919 and the
It per capita was $10S.32. sla II
The figures given showed that in !,
l3 the public bonded indebtedness z
the state was ,186,663.50, and c.
lile it was not known at present y
Iatit is now, Mr.. Robertson said a 4,
estimate was $55, 1885, =,
$50 or an increase of $4,000, 900, ~
289 per cent. N
These figures show that the per m
,fta debt in 1918 was $40, SO, ard in a,
20 $127.79, and the annual interest
Irge is 1881, 200, or a daily inter
of $9,071.7S, and figured hourly
cunt to 1878.