The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-11-25
State Auditor
Chase Talks on
Taxes at Miami
MINNESOTA OFFICIAL ADJ
DRESSES NATIONAL ASSOCJ-
ALTON ON SUBJECTS OF HIGH
TAXES.

/ An appeal to curtail spending, re-
duce borrowing and secure defritc
advance knowledge of the cost of i'm
! provements and the interest burden
of bond issues was the keynote of the
address given by Ray P. Chase, state
auditor, Tuesday, November 18th, at
Miami, Florida. Mr.. Chase is presi
dent of the National Association of
State Auditors, Comptrollers and
Treasurers, and presided at the tenth
annual convention of the association
at the Florida city. This is an honor
to the state as well as Mr.. Chase. He
made his plea in opening the four
days session.
Mr.. Chase classified the principal
causes of high taxes under four main
heads: Public Improvement, Admin
istrative Expense, Interest on Pub
lie Debt and Federal and State Aid.
In discussing administrative ex-
pense he said: "Out of the average
500 paid in in direct taxes in Mime
sofa this year for all purposes, state
and local, 1895 comes to the state,
and of this amount 1884 goes for
soldiers bonus or back to the coun-
ties for schools and roads, S4.Ol only
remaining for all other state activi-
ties; $3.50 goes to the townships;
$2O.l7 to the counties; $3.50 to the
cities and villages and S33.4S to the
school districts" which prompted the
speaker to declare in conclusion that
Ii direct taxes, state and local, are
too high, it is proftless to criticize
the state administration exclusively,
as reduction, if effective, must 90
down the line covering state, county.
city and village, town and school ex-
penditures.
One item of public. expenditure
which causes high taxes, which was
emphasized particularly by Mr..
Chase in his Florida talk, was the
item of interest on public debt. The
public debt of Minnesota and it's SUI
divisions has increased 283 per cent
in ten years. To illustrate what the
interest payments on long term bond
issues mean to the taxpayers, he gave
some startling illustrations, showing
in many cases where the interest YVES
tive and three times the amount of
the principal before the bonds were
finally retired. Interest on public
debt" said Mr.. Chase, sis an expen-
diture which inevitably raises taxes
and which, of itself, produces nothing
either in service or in civic better
ment."
The remedies suggested by Mr..
Chase to reduce direct taxes. in states
and local civil subdivisions, are to
reduce expenditures of public money,
pay as you go so far as possible, and
where the cash basis is not POSSIBLE,
io1 IL
debt will be paid during the life of
the Improvement and bv the genera
ton which incurs the obligation, and
to organize local, non-political tax
payers associations which may give
out complete reliable data upon the
basis of which those who pay taxes
may exercise their own best jude-
ment with full knowledge of all
facts" He also urged that the pub
lie at all times realize that they are
carrying the burden of government
whether the taxes be direct or in
direct, in the form of special as
sessments departmental earninps or
any other form. The public always
pays and is entitled to full advance
knowledge of the amount it is paving
and for what.
THE greatest menace to our civil!
lZation today is idleness. Leisure
without purpose is idleness and idle
ness spells degeneracy. The lounge
lizard is the fruit OF modern progress.
he demand for parental care is
greater than ever, while the tendency
is toward laxity. Father and mothey
are needed at the fireside. but the
average home is hardly more than
filling station. Many had fondlv
honed that the granting of woman
suffrage would correct every evil and
make up as pure as baking powder
but 1t is now plainly seen that voting
does not Of itself correct anything.
t is WHIT we do on the other 1854
Gays in the year that makes election
day worth while. Most folks thought
that woman suffrage would put civ
lllzation in the parlor car, but we find
lot of the girls back in the smoker
80 that illusion is past and we must
Get busy on the job as before."-,T.
& dow, pa1o