Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1922-03-17

sioners, Iron County, Utah.
Gentlemen:
When business begins to expert
ence trouble in meeting expenses tn,
natural and neeessessary thing fol
the management to do is to make {
thorough analysis of receipts and
disbursements with view to making
the business live within its means. II
no other manner can a reduction il
expenditures be made intelligently
and no enterprise can be expected tC
survive that does not observe this
sound business policy.
The State is a mammoth bushes:
institution. Its business in govern
ment The political subdivisions OF
the State likewise are business insti
tutions of lesser magnitude. The of.
ficers compare with the officers OF
corporations except that the power:
of the officers of government are
more limited and divided than the
powers of officers of most corpora.
tons. The people are the stockhold.
ers in the business of the govern.
ment and by their expression at the
polls usually they designate certain
desires for the conduct of government
for the next two or four years. The
laws enacted by the Legislature pro-
scribe the regulations for the con-
duct of government and the eXecu-
tive departments function is the adj
ministration of the law. Because the
Legislature meets only once in two
years the administrative branch Of
government frequently is seriously
handicapped in putting into effect GER
tain amendments which appear to be
to the best interests of the stock
holders.
In recent months general cry
has been voiced in the various poll
teal SUBJ divisions of the State against
the taxes levied. The principal rev.
enue for the conduct of government
comes through taxation. Under fav-
orable conditions there are other
sources of revenue but in the last
analysis taxation is THE source OF
revenue. IF other sources fail, then
all the money for the conduct of gov
eminent must be raised through tax
alton.
Pursuant to the dictation of sound
business policy the officers of the
State government have made and are
making analysis of receipts and dis
bursements in order that they may
take such steps as may be within
their power to reduce expenditures
and relieve the tax burden. But in
the end, because of the division and
limitation of the authority of the ex-
ecutives and administrative officers
of government the stockholders, or
the people, may be called npon to ex-
press their desires and to do without
certain conveniences which they have
planned or which they now enjoy.
The only way to reduce taxes in the
aggregate is to SPEND LESS MON
Ely.
In the limitation of expenditures
there always is one item which car
not be set aside or lowered except
by payment, if the credit of the state
is to be maintained. That is the
public debt. In the vast majority OF
improvements voted by the people anc
financed through the issuance OF
bonds. Except in few instances
the money has been expended and the
interest charges and maturities must
be met even though the public treas
ury be depleted to the extent that
cuTant government operations are
embarrassed.
While it is entirely in conformity
with our ideals of government that
the taxpayer of each political sub
division should determine the extent
Of improvements and expenditures
within that subdivision, the division
of authority embraced in such an
arrangement may tend toward lack
1920
Assessed Valuation 717,52O, 1854
DISTRIBUTE
Purpose 1920
Dist. & High School.---......,...-.-..S,b 66, 73l
Cities and 9S6 AIS