Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1922-06-09
NO TAX REDUCTION.
IN. o. States.)

In the last campaign Gov. Parker i
went before the people telling them
how their administrations squandered
money and burdensomely taxed them.
If elected, he promised business
administration, economies in govern
-ment, lower taxes.
How pitifully inadequate has been
the fulfilment of this promise!
At the opening of the present
session it was said the Legislature
would pass bills amelorating the con-
ditions of the taxpayers.
What the result?
The Dupre bill has been beaten.
The bill giving the parishes some
voice in the regulation Of their as
sessments has been defeated.
The bill to eurtail the powers OF
the Tax Commission has been
slaughtered.
The bill to defer ALLEGATION of the
severance tax to the Greater Agri-
cultural College, as a temporary
means Of relief, has been crushed.
Bills which look to an increase OF
the peoples burdens have had favor
able report. We are threatened with
higher gasoline taxes. We are men,
aced with further drain for roads.
There is dangled before as an in
come tax.
In the whole history Of Louisiana
no administration has so failed as
the present to meet the will and re-
lieve the distresses of the people.
At time when the nation is strug-
Cling to solve its difficult CONNER
cial, industrial and financial prob
lens, here in Louisiana we have an
administration proposing to add to
the load our taxpayers are bearing.
No. wonder former Gov. Sanders
himself not wholly blameless be-
cause he sat in the Constitutional
Convention and helped to add to our
taxes--rises in the House and thrills
an audience with an appeal for
economy and reduction, pointing to
the fact that when he was Governor
the revenue was 100000 and now
is $1S,000,000.
What, pray, has come over John N.
Parker, tribune Of the people, bait Of
Regular administrations, plsdgsr OF
= sucsor 20 Louisianians saddlsd with
crush6nG taxation-taxation which
has reached the limit of their ca.
paeity to bsar, as Governor Sanders
says7
Is the Governor not to intefere
and to interfere in the interest OF
the people? The flood is reced.ng.
He was to be leade, IN directing
the.administration. Is he to make no
move to serve the masses whose suit
frages he asked on his professions
that he would make government in
Louisiana business institution?
As Gov. Sanders says, in a few
years the increase in toll taken from
the people has been 100000. What
10 there to show for it!
Murphy Foster gave the State an
excellent administration on meager
returns. So did w. w. Heard. So did
N. C: Blanchard. So did ]. Y. Sanders.
So did L. E. Hall.
These, from the standpoint Of the
present executive, were political gov
errors.
It Is undeniable tharas the State
grows its needs increase and its re-
quirements Of revenue become great.
, er.
But when an, administration treb-
les the income Of any predecessor
and, like Oliver Twist, is still unsatis-
fled and wants more, it is time to
ask the head Of it to>fulfill his prom
Uses and do something to arrest the
disposition of the Legislature to 60
wild.
The Governor does not control the
Legislature. He should not. But he
has the right Of veto and of recon-
mendation and it is within his power
to give the people relief-as N. C.
Blanchard did when with fine dis
play Of courage he vetoed appropri-
alton bills and forced the Assembly