OCR Text |
Show TAX PROMS DISCUSSED BY 1IJMH Proposed Constitution Amendments Amend-ments as They Affect the Washington County School District Reviewed A representative group of citizens citi-zens of St. George, Washington and Santa Clara assembled in the auditorium Monday evening to hear a discourse on taxation by Senator D. W. Pan-art, County Superintendent Su-perintendent of Schools Milton E. Moody conducted the meeting and announced the purpose for which it was called, stating that Senator Parratt was long a member of the state school board and executive execu-tive secretary of the U. E. A. . President E. H. Snow, of the state board of equalization, introduced intro-duced 'Senator Parratt stating that he was a man of high standing, one who has his hands on the taxation problems of the state and in his position is back of the resolutions that will figure as amendments to be voted on at the coming election. Mr. Parratt after brief comments com-ments as to his purpose in coming com-ing to the county said, in part: "We are living in a day of specialization; spe-cialization; all of the executives of our state and nation are specialists spe-cialists in their line and we must have; confidence in these : specialists. special-ists. The people cannot, all or many of them, become familiar with the problems of the state as do the experts, the' specialists to whom we entrust the responsibilities responsibil-ities of law and government. It would be requiring too much. It is not expected. The more one knows the better off he is, the more intelligent in-telligent his voting and the more purposeful his life. In the building build-ing of the splendid roads which j we now have we entrust the responsibility re-sponsibility to road specialists. They are built by bonds which are voted by the people. We do this (Continued on page 2) SENATOR PARRATT TALKS ON TAXATION (Continued from page 1) without taking a course in road engineering, supervising, etc., and trust these technical problems to the officials in whom we have confidence, con-fidence, men who have been trained train-ed for this specialized work. "In cases of illness we call in a physician without taking time to study medicine. This is the physician's phy-sician's special work. With broken limbs we call the surgeon to use his expert skill, training and information. in-formation. This same idea should maintain in regard to governmental govern-mental affairs. It should not be a play of politics and politicians should not ask or expect the populace pop-ulace at large to have a full and comprehensive knowledge of the governmental projects. They should be well informed in a general way sufficing the need of the project, but the responsibility of the project proj-ect should be entrusted to the specialist whom we have appointed appoint-ed by our vote to legislate in our behalf. Political propaganda is not fair when public utility amendments amend-ments are proposed. We should vote with a spirit of confidence in the legislative specialists. "The time is ripe tor us to make a change in our taxing system. sys-tem. As a county we sent men to the legislative body with two specified spe-cified purposes; one, to place Washington county on a parity financially with the other schools of the state, and second, that of decreasing the burden of taxes. Since the maintenance of schools is dependent upon taxes, this places plac-es the two purposes in direct conflict. "Taxes should not be thought of as something to avoid. The public pub-lic need must be the consideration. considera-tion. There is much talk of the great increase of the burden of taxes, but an investigation over a period of many years shows that on a per capita basis there has been almost no increase, amounting amount-ing in reality to only 2 cents per capita during the last several years, from $5.12 to $5.14 by ac-! ac-! tual record. Now if any necessary increase is not made by the state there must be greater increase in the county requiring, the facilities, and utilities for which the tax is proposed. Growth demands more expendture. Roads link up municipalities mu-nicipalities and this progress demands de-mands better utilities. "We are getting to where we can spend more economically as a result of greater cooperation. Cooperative Co-operative purchasing always means a lower per capita cost. Roads were once built through voluntary' service and those who would carried car-ried the burden. The present road building system, which is very much the responsibility of the entire citizenry, is still cooperatively coopera-tively constructed but collectively less expensive. We have a cooperative coop-erative school system. The pooling of funds and cooperative distribution distribu-tion lessens the general per capita capi-ta expense. "Legislators, especially from the poorer counties continue to proclaim pro-claim that with the state rests the responsibility of the educating of its children. This is already provided pro-vided for. But it will be well to follow the European idea of making mak-ing the public utilities serve the general government in the bearing of expenses. Wealth should in a certain degTee be passed back into the districts from which it comes. "It is proposed to bring the schools not up at present, up to a certain general average as a basis for operation. Districts must come up to a certain level of self-taxing self-taxing for maintenance in order to participate in the larger benefits bene-fits of state funds. Investigations show that the - amount necessary to bring the schools now below, up to the general average of approximately ap-proximately 12 mills as a basis, will require $720,000.00. This makes necessary an amendment giving the legislature the power.' to create cre-ate the fund to accomplish this purpose. This plan is proposed" in joint resolution No. 10 which proposes pro-poses to create the fund and judicially ju-dicially spend it. "Washington, county is now a little above the required 12 mill basis and could fall in line for the balance of the movement if we will not do ,as we have-done twice before, vote against the amendment." "Senator Parratt then reviewed individually the proposed constitutional consti-tutional amendments, which were printed in the March 6 issue of the Washington County News under un-der the caption, "Legislative Propositions Prop-ositions looking to a change in tax system which will appear on the ballot in November." He was very clear in his explanations ex-planations of these propositions and very nicely answered the two or three questions raised, stating among other facts that it is the state legislature's job to create the necessary funds through taxation. Country districts are entitled to greater equality which can only come through judicially meeting the need through its resources of taxation. The tangible property of the state now carries the burden of taxation and much of this should be passed to the intangible property. The legislative body must be authorized to spend as they sse fit. Property must be more justly classified. The intangibles should provide the wealth. It is proposed to tax the intangibles in order to create the equalizing fund. He locks forward to the day when every property owner shall willingly will-ingly assume his proportionate tax obligation on his intangible as well as tangible interests, and believes that every income should contribute contrib-ute its proportion towards the national na-tional program. "Enemies of the measure will argue that' the amendments mean doubling of the taxes. If this applies, ap-plies, it applies only to the man who from. his interests' should pay, "At the time of the general property tax ruling there was little lit-tle intangible property owned in the state. Problems have arisen since making changes necessary, but we are slow to see them. Governors Gov-ernors have recognized the need of changing and renovating the tax system for this is not a new problem. Investigations under Governor Gov-ernor Spry, 17 years ago, brought forth proposed amendment. The state opposed the measure. People, I wrongly informed, . have .. .voted against the means of accomplishing accomplish-ing the things they really desire. Measures favored in the house are killed in the senate. Three commissioners com-missioners have been employed to study . the problem in Utah. They are tax experts and it is worth while to note that practically the same findings were shown in a similar investigation conducted at the same time in the state of Kansas which has much the same problems of taxation as Utah. Most of the members, after being properly educated, stand by the recommendations of the tax commission. com-mission. Those who would claim that the legislators were after the people's money should be denounced. de-nounced. What affects the constituents con-stituents affects the legislators. We must therefore elect such men as will inspire our confidence. "Legislators cannot reduce taxes. Amendments are essential because be-cause of the limitations of the constitution as it was instituted. The governor's interests in the state are the same as those of the people. And so long as the general property tax is not adequate, ade-quate, the best solution after careful care-ful study is the intangible property tax. Miners have united in asking for an amendment in their interest. The present amendment aims to meet their requirements. Their risk is great. Their problem commends consideration. "Another proposition concerns the refilling of office vacancies. There is need of adjustments and betterments in the state penitentiary peniten-tiary which will be met with the state penitentiary amendment. We cannot lessen crime when the institution in-stitution increases it by its inadequacy, inad-equacy, lack of sanitation, etc. This institution is a disgrace to the state. Derelicts need curing, not being made worse. "Legislators all voted for the proposed . amendments because they understand their purpose and value .There has been foolish political po-litical practice in the filling of offices. Not the party should govern, gov-ern, but we should consider the ability of the individual to perform per-form the requirements of the office of-fice to be filled. This should be first, and let us get it into our consciousness that these amendments amend-ments are big essentials when we vote." Superintendent Moody proposed a vote of thanks to Senator Parratt Par-ratt for his time in instructing those present on the measures that will mean much to our future. Unquestionably those present came away with much good information infor-mation and much food for useful thinking in reference to their responsibility re-sponsibility at the coming election. |