White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1923-03-09

Mutation must be determined by the
p0ople In 1924 when the democrats
will be in position to hold up the
record with fine show of soorn and
belittle and criticize 1t.
Early in the session the legislature
was divided over the tax problem.
with two courses open. with two
paths reckoning. One-half of the
membership in the house preferred
to settle the problem by adopting an
income tax, as Oregon has done.
while the other half wanted to avoid
new methods of taxation and meet the
situation by reducing expenditures.
In the struggle that followed the
proposed income tax policy was de-
Gated, making 1t incumbent on the
lictors to point the way, to take the
cad in cutting down the operating
expenses of the state government
lust how well they are going to do
the task delegated to them can not
be determined until the curtain has
fallen, but already the malcontent are
buckling on their arms preparatory
to the attack which everyone around
Olympia this winter recognizes Is In.
evitable.
State taxes will have been cut two
mills when the curtain drops and the
road to economy will have been
,lazed and marked by the legislature
or the counties and cities and
chools. Failure of the public to adopt
he economy program will cause a
save of discomfort to sweep over the
tate again in 1924 and bring on one
# the bitterest political campaigns
aged in Washington in years.
Strategic Position.
The democrats sense the strategic
osition in which they find them
elves through no particular effort Of
ne party's representatives in the
legislature and are making ready to
AXE advantage of their opportunity.
republican party leaders are equally
.lert and because of genuine fear Of
he democrats they can be expected
o use every influence to bring about
economy in tn conduct of county and
municipal affairs. The legislature will
enact into law before the session ends
,ills which will compel county COM
.nissioners, city commissioners and
school boards to adopt budget Of
expenditures before making any ap-
preparations. In addition the legisla.
lure will endeavor to limit the state
lax for the general fund to three
mills, the county school fund to five
m lis and the county current expense
fund to seven mills. II this can be
done taxes will be automatically re-
duced in many communities, but this
legislation may have the opposite ef-
feet from what the men behind 1t
hope for since there Is certain to be
resentment shown over the attempt on
the part of the state government to
force a program on retrenchment on
the counties and cities without ma
terially retrenching at the capital.
To further aid in the policy of
economy adopted by the legislature
for the state a bill will be passed Gre
ating a state board which is to give
power to determine property valua-
tons for taxation purposes and told
to levy taxes against all public utili-
ties. The public utilities are now as
sessed by county assessors, and as
result valuations often vary.
The 1924 Campaign.
1t is around the tax problem that
the campaign issues of 1924 are going
to center, but many other subjects
will be run in. Among them will be
quarrel over compensation for work
men injured in industries, the rights
Of municipalities to sell power out.
side of their corporate limits with
out paying a state tax, strong cen.
tralized state board of education, the
election of the state board Of public
works by the people. the governor
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