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Show TUX REDUCTION IS FieAT PROVO Prominent Utah County Men Express Views on the Question. Special to The Tribune. PROVO, Jan. SO. There was & fair attendance lit the meeting thiB fore-uoon, fore-uoon, called by the Frovo Commercial club for the imrpose of discussing tax reduction questions. President ,r. C. Deal of the Commercial club stutud the object of tbe meeting. ! Judge P. T. Lewis of Spanish Fork j was elected chairman and George 1 j Shelley of American Fork, secretary. : j Mayor C. F. Decker welcomed the del- jogottts and referred to the importance ! ol the questions to lm considered, ex-'pressing ex-'pressing the belief that the meeting 1 would tie profitable. i Profe?or Arch M, Thnrman of the j j Provo hitrh school spoke ot.' tax lepisla-, tion, explaining thu pyatem of taxation lin Utah, and showing whurein it is , faulty, lie alleged that an accepted cor-! cor-! rect law of taxat ion was that taxes should bo levtc-d in proportion of the individual to pay. This was uot done in Utah, according to ilr. Thurman. He showed that there was a great difference differ-ence in tax valuation in different sections sec-tions of the at-ate and favored the separation sep-aration of sources for assessment for local lo-cal and stato purposes, and that the state rovenun bo derived from sources other than that which is assessed for local purposes. Pro tensor Thurman referred to inequitable in-equitable taxation ns existing within his notice. According to the records, he Paid, there was just $100 cash owned in tie county last yeai. He favored that either there be no attempt at ail to assess intaDgible property or tiiat a better method be adopted. He gave illustrations oi inequitable assessments or real property in the county, gome being assessed as low as AO per cent and others at more than the market price. He favored a full cash value assessment and a miximum levy. The assessment of corporate property prop-erty in the state was ridiculously low. in the opinion ot Mr. Thurman." Discussion Follows. A general discussion followed. Aima Greeuwood of American i'ork criticized the appointment or inexperienced uep-uty uep-uty assesors and the inequitable " equalization''' equal-ization''' of tno state board of equalisation, equali-sation, which raised Utah county larm lands it) per cent last year wciie corporate cor-porate property was permitted to remain re-main at a ridiculously low valuation. Professor Tnurinan referred to and rather favored the Calilorma law, by which corporations were assessed on ;ross earnings. Jacob Coieman favored the combination combi-nation of the offices of county assessor and county treasurer in order to save the salary of oue of these officers. Attorney Harvey Cluff said he believed be-lieved that the great cause for the high taxes was because w'e are living iu a taddish. extravagant age, and the stfife tried to keep abreast with all the luxuries lux-uries and extravagances of the day. He believed more ellieieut work could bo done in public, offices if efficient men were placed in offices and kept there long enough to becomo more efficient, fie made some suggestions for the valuation valu-ation by the assessor and the county board of county property. Ho advocated advo-cated an eftort 'to get the" legislature to adopt the recommendations of Governor William Spry with reference to tax legislation, leg-islation, lie also recommended an agitation agi-tation to do awnv with so much legislation. legis-lation. At the afternoon meeting the question ques-tion of valuation of properly which is not now taxed or taxed at a low valuation valu-ation was discussed. Figures were submitted sub-mitted by Alma Greenwood that there is in tho stale property which would increase the revenue bv $11,000,000 if assessed on a basis of So per cent valuation, val-uation, as farm property is now assessed and which property now escnues tain. tion. Resolutions Adopted. A resolution was adopted embodying the following recommeudatious to be submitted to tho legislature: 1. That, the law' be amended and enforced en-forced s that all property shall be assessed at its full cash valiie. 'J. -Providing a maximum levy of JJ mills lor all purposes. e. That salaries and incomes shall boar their just proportion of taxes. I. That laws ho enacted to reduce salaries ami contingent expenses of all state ot'licers. In this connection a Inrgo list of salaries of public officers, showing tho advance in such salaries' in Ihe past t'ow years, was read. .-. That laws 'bo enacted to elimin ale n number of useless offices, the functions of which could be adn'iinis torod by incumbents of other office's Some of tho offices considered oi useless use-less are county road supervisor, district iillornev and the stale sheen commission. commis-sion. The consolidation of the offices of county assessor ami county treasurer was r miincndcd. 0 Tlint nn amendment to the con slitnlieu bo submitted which will per nut of a cash valuation of minnTal binds. '' Thai appropriation bv tho pros-enl pros-enl b risliilure be confined to tho lowest low-est po-.-;'b!o amount. I hal county commissioners, mn nicical and school boards reduce 'si to the lowest possible figure. ' '" P. That ail state educational irH. tuuons be placed under one hoa-d."" Ine following committee wa e--pointed to present the reso'urori :-the :-the legislature and to wok for t' : enactment: Harvev Clr.ff, Provo-Greenwood, Provo-Greenwood, American Fork; S. W. Lehi: Elias Hansen, Spanish Fo-- .' T. Bareman, Alpine; C. T V-'-rjhal. Pleasant Grove: Harold Vezk Spricgville: John T.'Laut. Pavson |
