The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-04-12
NOT
TO BLAME FOR TAX
Effort Made to Cast Reflection Upon
Republicans for Increases In
State Taxation When Facts
Prove Il Otherwise
IAN Editorial)

An Edlt0rlal
It was hardly expected that the
extremely partisan Democratic news.
papers of Nevada would attempt tc
make political capital out of the
fact that taxpayers face an in.
creased tax rate because of the re.
cent sessions of the legislature, but
such a movement seems to have
been started by at least one news.
paper, which, by the way, is pub.
lished in this city, and which, fol-
the sake of party success, seems
willing to mislead by the studied
effort apparent in forgetting to put
all facts in possession of readers
that they may have a basis upon
which to draw conclusions.
The reason that it was hardly
thought such an unfair advantage
would be taken, in seeking political
prestige which may grow out Of the
fact that taxes are to be higher, il
that thinking people instantly recog
nize that such increase is not be.
cause of Republican legislative ac.
tivities, but instead Democratic ex.
travagance, for the reason that il
has been and will be Democratic
officeholders who have spent and
will spend the funds arising from
such increased taxation. For the
reason that thinking people see al
this, as stated, it was thought thai
the Democrats would be very happ,
to pass lightly over the results o.
Democratic management of state af
fairs, but with its usual attitude Of
not giving the general public credi
for the ability to think the loca
administration Democratic organ
boldly plunges into an effort to be
fuddle and mislead.
Ninety days of lawmakinf
brought many revelations" is
sample passage of the editorial re
ferred to, while the truthful fac
of the matter is that the Legislative.
duties were performed in sixty days
That statement may be put down a,
a slip of mind or an example of {
general tendency on the part of the
writer to misunderstood, and though
it smacks of an effort to make the
situation appear in a worse ligh
than was actually the case, with thu
handy alibi above referred to fol
use in case of necessity, the matter
may be passed over as meaningless
But after calling the Legislative.
effects of the Republican majority a,
Carson City zone of the prettiesi
fiasco-comedies in state history
which statement was uncalled fol
and untrue, the editorial complained
of goes on:
met result: Five cents ad-
ditional in state taxes on each
one hundred dollars of prop
erty valuation for the years
1923-1924."
That is the paragraph objected to
Strangely enough, considering the
sourse, it is a truthful statement
even though it does not tell all OF
the story. Thoughtful readers ars
going to ask "Why was the in
crease necessary" Surely no one
would attempt to accuse the Re.
publican legislative majority of pur.
posely saddling such a tax burden
upon the people after being pledged
to economy, particularly when the
tax funds so raised are to be spent
by Democratic officeholders. Such
things are not done-it isn't human
nature. Why then was it necessary
for the Republicans to raise the
rate of taxation?
Simply because the Democratic
minority and Democratic officehold-
ers, both past and present, would
permit nothing else.
In the first place the legislature
faced deficiency appropriation bills
totaling nearly one hundred thou
sand dollars, which in themselves
would more than take up the tax
increase. By deficiency appropria-
tion bills is meant bills appropriate
ing money for goods already pur-
chased by state officials-appropria-
tions of money to pay for goods
and services bought by officeholders
after they had expended the full
amount allotted to them by the
previous legislature; money spent
over and above the limit set and
appropriated by the last proceeding
legislature as sufficient for the
conduct Of such offices. The state
was obligated to pay this indebted
ness, and what else wys there for
the Republican legislature to do ex-
cept to provide funds by additional
taxation to meet such obligations?
A paralleling instance: A corpora
tion is in debt 100000, which is
rightfully due and must be paid.
This indebtedness was incurred by
the president of the concern (the
governor) and subordinate officers
Estate officeholders). Such indebted
ness was incurred between meeting
Of the board of directors (the legis-
lature), which board was powerless
l.