The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-02-17
MORE TAX TRUTHS

puzzled over the question of locating
the alleged ''tax reduction" of which
Governor Hyde and the well-paid
agents of the Tax Commission speak
so glibly, few additional figures
ought to be given, illustrating the alb
surdity Of the claim that all increases
have been due to local boards.
In the first place, state taxes al
ways are but small percentage of
the total taxes paid by the people. For
instance, the State Auditors report
for l919-1920 shows that the total
property taxes charged against coun-
ty officials for the tax year of 1920
amounted to $55, All, S06.19, while but
$4,458,935.91 was chargeable ON ac-
count of state taxes, or less than one
tenth, But when the valuations are
changed by the state board, taxes lev
led by the local and county boards
necessarily are raised, because of the
change in the valuations matter be-
yond the control Of the local boards,
and for which they are not response
BILE.
A Republican legislature suspected
that there would be trouble when the
new valuation went into effect, so
they attempted to point out a way to
stop local increases-Governor Hyde
says hat they deliberately raised the
valuations in order to give the coun-
ties and the school districts ample
funds-if the Governor is telling the
truth, why did the legislature attempt
to limit the increase to ten per cent of
the previous receipts? But this,
while an interesting question, is be-
You'd the issue. Even granting some
Of the Republican argument, it can
not be denied that the counties may
raise their local taxes ten per cent
and be within the provisions of this
Republican statute. AS heretofore
pointed out, this would amount to
$5,095, SS7,02 in the entire state. Let
US see how it would work in some of
the counties blessed with Republican
county officials. Let us take a few at
random, and find out whether the tax
es in these counties have not been
raised both for state and local pur-
poses.
Adair county's collector was charg-
ed with $22, 67S.42 for 1920 taxes, and
with $31 ,86S.86 for 1921. In addition,
the county court, under this ten per
cent clause, could have raised local
taxes $26,270.
Benton county was due to pay in
state taxes, according to the State
Auditors reports, from which all of
these figures are taken, l3,9SO.23 for
1920, 2s against S1S,066.40 for 1921,
Ten per cent of Benton's county taxes
would be $10,971.
Caldwell: State taxes, 1920, $685.
047.91; 1921, $30,096.89; ten per cent
of the preceding county tax, $20,931.
Daviess: State taxes, 1920, $780,
288.O6; 1921, $35, 1856; ten per cent
of the preceding county tax, $24,667.
Franklin: State taxes, 1920, $780,
9S9,01; 1921, $32, 1907; ten per cent
of the 1920 county tax, $21 ,453.
Grundy: State taxes, 1920, S2l,.
974.77; 1921, $30,045,66; ten per cent
of the 1920 county tax, $21, 740.
Mercer: State taxes, 1920, $14,.
1896; 1921, $21, 050,39; ten per cent
county increase authorized, $13,09f.
Pettis: State taxes, 1920, $33, D.
60; 1921, $51, 270.3S; ten per cent Of
the 1920 county tax, $43,565.
Putnam: State taxes, 1920, $19,472.-
81; 1921, $22,635.25; ten per cent of
the 1920 county tax, $19,456.
Miller: State taxes, 1920, $11,541.-
80; 1921, $13,275.75; ten per cent of
1920 county tax, $10,972.
Morgan: State taxes, 1920, $11,-
29768; 1921, SIG, 45l.75; ten per cent
of 1920 county tax, $11,251.
st. Charles: State taxes, 1921, $685.
210.29; 1921, $35,027.65; ten per cent
of 1920 county tax, $18,564.
Warren: State taxes, 1920, S9,5S7.-
03; 1921, $13, 123.77; ten per cent of
1920 county tax, $6,874.
The significance Of these figures
cannot be overlooked. The 1920 state
and county tax figures are taken from
the State Auditors report, and show
the amounts charged against the col
lector's books. The 1921 state tax
figures are computed at the rate of
10 cents on the 500 on the assessed
valuation. The ten per cent shows the
amount of the increase in county tax
es specifically and explicitly author
lied by the fifty first General Assem-
bly,. Both calculations show the ut
ter falsity of the Governors claims.
The same figures can be computed in
any county in the state, showing a net
authorized increase under the law. If
county taxes were not increased, then
the county boards are entitled to the
credit, because they received the au-
thority to do so, to the extent indi-
Gated, from the Republican General
Assembly. If county taxes were IN
creased in any county beyond that
figure it was because the local boards
thought the act Of the General As
sembly invalid-which is the view of
most of the legal authorities of the
state, because the Constitution fixes a
maximum for county taxes, and the
legislature has no power to change it,
Pursuing the inquiry, it is worth
while to consider the question of
payments in taxes fer state purposes
by the entire state, without reference
to individual counties. 1t is claimed
that the total amount of state taxes
to be paid in 1921 was abou 100000
less than in 1920, including the blind
pension tax. Parenthetically, it may
be remarked that the process OF rea-
soning which omits the consideration
of the blind tax, when it is levied
against the new assessment, has to
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