The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1922-07-21
WHY TAXES ARE
MOUNTING HIGH
EApEkT JOHN d. ROBERTSON
IoMES TO PLACE BLAME
LARGELY ON MINOR TAXING
BODIES.

John D. Robertson, tax expert an.
state official, seems to have taken an
unwilling part in boosting taxes in the
state of Idaho, for whenever he get,
q chance he raps the tax-eaters un-
mercifully. This was the case last
friday night when Mr.. Robertson an.
peared before Salmon audience te
talk on his specially. 1t is NOTHING
less than pity that every taxpaye.
within the bounds of Lemhi county
Could not have been there to hear him
As 1T was less than a score Of this
class of our citizens were praaert
-Neither IN state nor county govern
ment did Mr.. Robertson mention dis.
paraglngly any official as being re-
sponsihle for the present burdenson1e
taxes but he pointed out the fault sn-
efrlngly. Too many taxing bodies is
the trouble when every county, every
school district. every highway district
ana every municipality just goes to II
20 boost the tax burdens until they
nave grown so great as to be intoller-
able. He had continued for an hour
along these lines when John E. Rees
was induced to ask him where he
would begin to cut our taxes to apply
the remedy. Mr.. Rees said he served
TOUR years IN the state senate. He
asked II the state government is not
now most efficient. This direct CUES
ton was not answered. Rees said he
thought 1t was. Robertson rejoined
TO say If he were in authority when
TAX leYles are made up in county. state
ana city he would cut and slash them.
Beng pressed and heckled again to
answer the direct question as to where
ne would begin and probably mindful
OF libel suits intended to stop too close
an inquiry into this sore stNliect he
sald 1t was for the people themselves
10 loop OIL needless public expendi-
lures Wherever they were present. He
dld not suggest lower salaries as the
remedy but less officeholders. Abol-
lsh unnecessary expenses in all public
offices but never impair efficiency in
any Of them. These recommendation
We're snapped out Ike shafts Of light
.nlng. Perhaps the heaviest thunder
bolt of the entire speech came with
the statement that about half the
present laws might be repealed with
great advantage to the state.
Mr.. Robertson has a clear record in
matters about which he spoke so forci-
IDLY to his Salmon hearers. He has
said the same things all up and down
the state for dozen years. He has
been a county commissioner in his
home county of Washington in which
he always took the same advanced
ground against tax-eaters and afficial
good efficiency, always calling a spade
a spade and a knave a knave, but
managing to escape the criminal
courts.
Mr.. Robertson showed that actually
the tax dollar as the average citizen
is called upon to plank it down is de-
manded of him by his own will and
direction in the way of bond issues
and local demands, for the state in all
its ramitications gets of the direct
property tax the insignificant sum Of
less than a tive-cent piece The amount
of this expenditure is actually sum-
married. as follows: Legislative, 0.16
Of cent; judicial, 063 of cent; state
department 1.98 cents: for all char
table institutions and prisons and
asvlums, LES cents, making a total Of
AS cents. Other expenses eat up
the balance of the dollar. as shown
by the SPEAKER. Mr.. Robertson did
not go into the license taxes imposed
upon hunters and fishermen nor the
so-called cigaret license tax, nor vet
the automobile licenses all Of which
make up tidy sum for the taxgather-
er. He did not even mention the state
constabulary. He clearly showed that
It was not the actual operating eX-
penses that cause taxes TO mount but
the extras and the like, which he
thought ought to be mercilessly cut
out.