Show THE TAIL WOULD WAG THE DOG does the dog wag the tail or does the tail wag the dog this is a question of trifling importance compared to the serious problem now confronting the people of utah and which is going to cause another fight in the state legisla legislature ture and possibly at the polls the the question is shall the people of utah be governed by themselves or shall they be under the domination of the state board of equalization the utah state board of equalization has evidently become so inflated over its supposed importance that it is evidently greatly peeved because the voters of the state defeated the proposed amendment to article 13 of the constitution of the state by sueh such an overwhelming majority as to rebuke the sPon sponsors sers of the measure and one would think that after such a spanking that the board would go way back and sit down but as sensitiveness does not seem to be an attribute of the board and as it does not seem able to sense the fact that the people of tile the state were really in earnest when they defeated the iniquitous measure to which it had given birth the board is already making plans to almost compel the state legislature which will soon be in session to submit resubmit re the amendment or a similar one for the consideration of voters at the next election in other words the servant of the people from all indications proposes to reverse the usual rule and will insist upon governing rather than to take orders from its masters the deseret evening news ineas of salt lake in an editorial in its issue of december has the following to say regarding the obnoxious activity of the board in this respect it is perhaps quite natural but none the less discreditable for the state board of equalization to seek cuttlefish cuttle fish concealment for its own blunders by blaming the voters for rejecting the proposed constitutional amendment and ascribing this rejection to the selfish activities of the mining companies the board in this performance lapses into a childish petulance altogether undignified and unbecoming and the spirit in which its report voices its disappointment will be the one thing needed to convince the people that the defeat of the amendment was a righteous act and in the interest of the public welfare there is no general desire to rasp the sensibilities of the estimable gentlemen composing the board but abut they must not presume too far on public patience their motives in framing and supporting the amendment may have been the most benevolent but with their methods the peoples intelligence could not concur they would do well to accept the credit for the former without inviting a further flood of criticism for the latter with their conclusion that some of the properties in the state are not paying their proper share of the tax burden the great will probably agree but the lax careless wide open and dangerous authority which they proposed as a means of rectifying rectify ing the inequality was in violation of all prudence and fraught with perils which they themselves do not dispute the people by solemn vote declared that in this instance it was better to bear the ills they have than fly to others that they know not of and it is ungracious to say the least for a state commission which is at best but a servant of the people to flame forth with angry upbraid ings as if admonishing moni shing a community of miscreants and ignoramuses ignoramus es the state board of equalization has within itself the power for much usefulness if there is anything the people want more than a lightening of the burden of taxation it is the just equalization of that burden but the constant endeavor to find new schemes for squeezing more and ever more money out of the taxpayer puts the latter at once upon his guard and arouses ills his resistance an assurance of tax reduction or of its more equitable distribution will be everywhere welcomed but a vague promise of it associated with a loose plan that is full of snares and pitfalls properly excites suspicion and in the case in question it met with the fate which it deserved instead of feeling aggrieved at the rebuke and growing indignant over it the board will best show itself worthy of future public confidence by accepting the verdict manfully and setting out honestly to meet the objections which caused the recent downfall |