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Show UTAH TAX MEASURES MUST BE CORRECTED SAYS IDAHO EDITOR Referring- to the delinquent tax list published in the Salt Lake Tribune recently, the Idaho Falls Post reviews re-views the situation, feeling the situation situ-ation is grave and one demanding serious consideration. Says the Idaho Ida-ho Falls Post: Sixty-two pages of a recent issue of the Salt Lake Tribune, set in small type, were used to publish the delinquent delin-quent tax list of Salt Lake county. A hurried estimate of the number of pieces of property advertised for sale is about 25,000, with delinquent tax averaging from a few dollars to sums into the thousands. The unpaid taxes are on improved and vacant property that was evidently intended for the beginning of a home, the taxes tax-es unpaid are listed as state, state school, state high school, county, county road, district school, town, city, city school ,weed bounty and special state road taxes. The length of the list is appalling when one thinks of the total number of people who are to he affected, the amount involved and the expense of the tax sale. A large percentage of the property advertised for sale will revert to the county on account of the non-payment of taxes and will be resold with a tremendous loss involved. in-volved. There is no wonder the people of Utah, of Idaho and of every state and county in the nation are becoming aroused by the tax problem, which means the taking of their property, their homes, their investments away from them. This is little short of confiscation and if the tax rate and burden is permitted to increase for the next few years as it has within the last 20 the state and county will own it all ,and then who will pay the tax? It is admitted in all fairness the present economic condition is responsible respon-sible for a large percentage of the delinquency, but even if business conditions con-ditions were good taxes are too high. Spending will have to stop. Duplication Du-plication of effort will have to be eliminated. Control of the right to levy special taxes and to vote bonds will have to be exercised. The status of the voter will have to be fixed, making a property qualification necessary. nec-essary. The remedy for the condition is the election of the various state legislatures legisla-tures of men and women who have had the opportunity to get in touch with the tax-paying public for the remedy must begin at the grass roots, revenue and taxation legislation. legisla-tion. The general public, through proper organization, will be obliged to make a better study of conditions. A plan of education will have to be conducted. The taxpayer, in order to keep his name and the name of his neighbor from the delinquent tax list, will have to pay more attention to his business. As long as there is the demand to spend and borrow, debts will be contracted, which will have to be paid. No one would retard progress pro-gress ,but the advance must not be so fast. It takes away from the property pro-perty owner the ability to pay. o |