, 1923-03-15

ISSUED EVERY THURSDAY
Suffered IN the Postonics It Rawins. Wyoming. u second Glass Matter
Subscription Price. $3.50 per year.
GOVERNOR ROSS AND HIS POLITICAL, vEro
Governor Ross recently in vetoing the State Tax Fact Finding
measure which had been passed by both the House and Senate
transmitted to the Secretary of State a message of truly won
In his veto message His Excelency gave several reasons for
vetoing this measure. In this article we will endeavor to take
up each Tirs reason also given given and dt show i, its = s; !,
t Of Equalization .Sd4 r require gre.t the compilation Of data on taxation and
s1sfef thst t a1rea shs r Ssf,fs Of Of thi the cf Roard 6f E %0s5d BE identical
+ha If the governor would Investigate the matter he would find
ization to make these Investigations and to submit to the Ieeis-
' bs given nrf 91 tss s saasdis on E RsasH r E tss x sSsa3s this %si authority rasG5ss
that no legislature would give the same consideration to the
given to the recommendations of a Commission composed of
elective Officers headed by the governor; # the duties Of the
rAan for a Severance Tax to the Legislature instead Of the gov
strated absolutely that if we are to have equitable taxation laws
IN WYOMING there is a grave necessity for such a Commission
i lat mss contemplated by the measure passed by the recent 1eFi'-
appropriated for the expenses sa" this Cor Commission n ssiaev would ida be VAST vast
ed as s35 900 was already available for the use of the Board of
Governor Ross knows that even though 1000 was appropri-
@ afa not mt w needed not T BE n eemm;syit to use that iat,e entire ar amount if it
formation tt1o and assistance from the State Board of Equalization
the state: The principal feature Of this measure was tn the one a
w WIN n required tg the three highest elective state officers to sub
report. Any Legislature would accept a report from elective
Governor ! Ross s' worry sDs abo saea this leG s?ooc s 95r'ssPri %hy a znG" oa
the same day veto a Medical Practice Act which would have
publishing the rules and res 8 la aeSaaS Of e. the %o State sP Board d" of H Xean II
Why did the governor veto the measure which consolidated the
urer at a saving Of s12,ooooo if be was so anxious to save every
cent possible to the State? Is the expenditure of $1,000 too
it is conservatively estimated should bring approximately sa'
100000 additional taxes to the state?
Third. Governor Ross states that this measure would mean
the creation of new offices.
Governor Ross knows that the only new office even intended
in connection with this measure was that of Secretary to the
Board. This Secretary could have been secured by the payment
to some secretary already in the capitol building of approximately
$500 per month. The measure would not create new offices
but would place additional responsibility upon three officers
elected by the people. Two of these officers would gladly have
assumed the additional responsibility had the governor been
willing to do his share.
Fourth. The governor states that the legislature appropriated
more money, than will be available for the next two years from
when we cannot keep up those we already have.
The same reply can be made to this contention as to the one
above: namely, that this measure did not create new offices but
created additional duties for officers already elected by the people.
Fifth. The contention made by the governor in his fifth
teligence. The governor states that no Tax Fact Finding Com
mission is needed to disclose what kind of a tax law is needed
for Wyoming as it is plain that an increased tax should be levied
upon natural resurces. He also states that $4,000 900 more is
needed to run the state than is available: He goes on to stnte
that outside interests will drain the state for two more years and
that mineral products will be hurried out Of the state for that
length of time by the wholesale. i
1t is hard to conceive of the governor of the great State of
Wyoming making statements such as these. Without study and
evidently without knowledge of what such a law might mean
to Wyoming, Governor Ross started out to make political capital
of a Severance Tax" At no time was he inclined to be fair
regarding this matter and although he practically admitted in
his address to the Legislature that such ? law would be I'M
constitutional by advocating the passaa "f a constitutional
amendment, he continued to pratte about The passage of such
an act. Governor Ross knows that if sue, Nv had cen paced
it would have been carried to the Supreme Court AZ the State
would have spent many thousands OF dollars and IN tho end not
a cent would have been realized from this tax to the State.
The governor also claims that this measure was drafted
by a prominent oil attorney in order to delay action upon al
Severance Tax for two years This question. was asked upon
was answered in the negative. Governor Ross evidently questions
the integrity of this answer. The measure was not drafted by
any oil attorney, but was drawn by members OF the House
Revenue Committee.
The recent Legislature did not pass this Tax Fact Find