, 1923-01-04
GOVERNOR ROSS
INAUGURATfD
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Gu
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duction Of taxes.
It II my opinion. which I believe
10 shared BY many. that expenditures,
wise and justifiable in developing
new enterprises and perhaps In sus,
tanning some that are not new and
which probably are not essential.
should be deferred or eliminated un-
til such time as the strain incident
to the present financial depression
shall have been relieved.
There Is no other state within the
Union which has stored away within
its bosom richer natural resources
than our own. The Salt Creek Oil
field is said to be the richest spot of
It's size on the face of the earth. Our
coal fields are as bountiful a any
that nature has provided and our
iron ore mines compare %favorably IN
quality and quantity with any on our
continent. Few states are blessed
with such remarkably rich
as Wyoming.
1t might be supposed that such
fabulous wealth with such small
population would hold. for our
Wyoming boys and girls unlimited
possibilities. and yet, today, a high
per cent of population is insolv-
ent. Why is 1t that with such vast
fields of wealth and such a sparsely
settled state we do not find greater
prosperity? The answer is ready. A
high per cent of this great wealth is
In the control of large corporate in
terests, which are non-residents of
the state and which pay taxes not
upon mines of tremendous value
within our borders, and to which
venue the state is entitled, but up
on the output. A mine may be worth
in the open market 500, 600, 900 and
from 1t may be removed only a ton
of ore a year. The property worth
800 100000 under the present law.
goes untaxed. Only the ton removed
is subject to taxation. There is a
market value for these rich mines;
there should be a taxation value. The
sum paid in taxation into the treas
to the amount paid on other products
Of equal value. That is not the
method by which other interests are
taxed. A man owns a farm. He
doesn't pay taxes only upon the
products of thai farm. He pays up
on both the farm and what 1t pro-
duces. Our real estate is burdened
with heavier taxes than 1t can rea-
sonably bear. A large majority Of
our people are paying to the limit Of
their ability upon their small hold
ings. Some of our property is as
sessed at more than II can be sold
for in the open market. while the
largo moneyed interests are almost
exempt from paying the adequate tax
""hich should be assisting in defray-
ing the expense of the state. This Is
m unfortunate condition, which, in
Justice to all. should be corrected.
Some means should be devised to
compel these powerful corporations
to pay their full share OF the taxes,
thus alleviating the burdens which
fall so heavily upon the residents OF
this state. Some OF these great con-
Germs promote the growth OF this
state only to the extent OF establish
ing offices in It, and their main bust
ness in Wyoming is removing this
wealth to other states where they
have constructed their great manu-
featuring plants. ald are paying their
taxes upon Our products .a.o the
treasury OF those states instead OF
into the treasury OF the state of
Wyoming. and in those states instead
OF Wyoming employing their laborers
and building up large and flourish
ing cities. No doubt any effort made
to force the payment OF these taxes
Will be met with unusual obstacles
but Tor my part. I favor legislation
to that end.
Going hand In hand with these
problems IN another of n different
character but OF great Importance.
Since the enactment OF the pro-
hibition law there has grown up
in some quarters q determination TO
thwart tho enforcement OF II. Many,
In direct defiance OF this law. are en-
gagged in manufacturing and selling
liquors. A large per cent of this
liquor In made Of poisonous drugs.
including In some instances wood al
cohol. In this poison turks blind
ness and insanity. and. In some of II,
death itself stalks in horrible form.
Not only II II sold to men and
women but not i~nfreQuently to boys
and girls Al well. The violation Of
this lnw In grave enough In itself. but
In addition II Ia breeding contempt
for all laws. Good citizens who have
no sympathy for the prohibition law
realize that laws protect human 80
cicty and that 30 long as 4 law cx-
lists II must be enforced. The condi-
lions resulting from the effort 70 OBJ
struct the enforcement of this pr0hi-
bition law have become alarming.
Regardless OF whether We like Q law
or not, good citizenship and patriot
ism demand that Il b obcyed - long
~ II IL . part Of the statutes. II ! %
an unwise Law II should bc repealed.
However. In this case. the prohibit
tion law has been Incorporated Into
the statutes OF both the State and
Nation, and also into the Coaslitu.
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