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Show URGES MORE SPEED l IN CREATING LAWS State Attorney General, in n Biennial Report, Proposes Radical Changes. ' REFORMS SUGGESTED Goes Particularly Into Land Regulations and Inheri-I" Inheri-I" tance Tax Retention. r ' ATTORNEY GENERAL'S RECOMMENDATIONS. REC-OMMENDATIONS. l- Constitutional amendment mak- lng radical changes In the conduct and procedure of the state legisla- l ture to facilitate its work and im- 1 prove the results of Its delibera-rt'V delibera-rt'V tions. That the legislature memorialise - congress to materially reduce the - acreage of public domain in Utah, i ttiat the lands may be open to prl- ii vato ownership and become a source v. of revenue to the state. b, That the state prosecute to the last issue its test case to quiet title in the state to all mineral-bearing lX school lands against adverse entry. That the maximum tax levy possi ble for school purposes be increased !.. to enlarge the revenue for educational educa-tional purposes. That the legislature make another effort at a constitutional amend-ment amend-ment providing for the collection of interest on state moneys deposited 1 I"."" in banking institutions. y That a constitutional convention be called to take up and consider tax and revenue reforms for the state. ;: That there be no reduction in the rate of taxation imposed upon in-heritance. in-heritance. Sweeping changes in constitutional provisions applying to legislative ses-sious ses-sious to eliminate unnecessary delay in tr.. organization, waste of time hi consid-IV consid-IV eration of useless bills and to promote speed of procedure and at the same ; ti me raise the standard of legislation accomplished, constitute the features of one of the most important recommenda- . tions contained in the biennial report J' of A. R. Barnes, attorney general of ;' Utah, which was filed yesterday. 'i'. The attorney general suggests that the legislature take steps to call a spe- cial constitutional convention for the ; especial purpose of considering and pro-" pro-" vlding for such changes in the present constitution as would be necessary to r-,. bring about the results which he be-c be-c ' lieves should he accomplished if the L.' best interests of the state, in the mat- tor of legislation, are to be conserved. . ITe suggests that something similar to ; ; the California method of procedure might be provided in Utah with most beneficial results. The California plan provides fur a preliminary meeting of the legislators, at which an organization i :-: lei-ted, committees are appointed, proposed legislation is prevented and referred to the proper committees. The legislature then adjourns for thirty days, during which time the sifting work is dune. Tii en when the legislature reconvenes re-convenes it is prepared to proceed speedily and com pretendingly in the enactment of such laws as the state really needs. To Help Legislature. Th attorney general calls attention to the fact that the constitution of I.'tah provides for a meeting of the legislature every two vears. in a session which shall not exceed Fixty days in duration. He notes that anion j; the personnel of the legislature there are found person? from nearly every walk in life, including the clerk, merchant, mining man, farmer, professional man and housewife. Most of these have had little or no experience in legislative work, he observes. He credits them with the sincere desire de-sire to serve their state to the best of their ability, but points to the fact that past history shows that from days to weeks are consumed in the process of organization. Then an avalanche of bills comes down upon these unsuspecting members of the legislature. Manv of these bills cover reams of paper. In theory these bills, after presentation to the various committee, are to be digested, studied and gone over thoroughly. Now, think of it. The members of the legislature, practically inexperienced, coming together to-gether for a period of sixty days only, must first spend the necessary time for organization, then go over this avalanche ava-lanche of bills, weed out the good from the bad, see to it that the bills which they propose to pass arc worded in good English and proper phraseology, see to it that the same do not conflict with constitutional or statutory provisions, pro-visions, and, after all this has been done, within the time left out of the allotted sixty days, they must act upon these bills and stamp them with the authority of law. It is a marvel that the statute books of this state are not filled with incongruities in the way of legislation. ' ' Wants More Revenue. One of the next most important points treated in the report of the attorney general, is that of the public domain, which he handles under the heading, "Public Lands vs. State Revenue." The attorney general calls attention to the fact that one of the most difficult diffi-cult tasks of tho legislature is that of apportioning revenues of the state to the various funds, institutions, boards and departments to meet the current expenses of the state, because of the limited amount of revenue. He declares that it is constantly necessary to trim down the actual financial needs of the state, and thereby hamper work and progress in many departments in order to make the available revenue go , around. And still he notes, despite every effort to curb expenses, there remains the constant cry of the overburdened over-burdened taxpayer. Lepislation, he thinks, can hardly meet the situation. Then he directs attention to the posi-, tion of every property owner in the so-1 called public land states where there! are vast areas of public domain held in reserve by the government of the United States, not subject to taxation, and which cannot be made subject to taxation under present federal laws. "Nearly 78 per cent of the total area of Utah is yet public domain, property of the United States, not subject to taxation, and therefore pays practii eallv no revenue to the state. It seems almost incredible when we (-(insider the earlv settlement of the territory comprised com-prised within this state, that there should be now but 2i per cent of the entire area in private ownership and subject to taxation, only -li per cent that is now helping to meet the burden of state government." Domain Is Revenueless. The attorney general says that all blame for this condition cannot properly prop-erly be placed upon the policy of the government, but he declares that, as a matter of fact, a large percentage or these public lands are capable of cultivation cul-tivation and would be cultivated if the government would adopt a different policy pol-icy in its treatment of the public land states. He calls attention to the vast areas in the state of Utah that have been permanently withdrawn and placed in forest reservations. He cites Sevier county, where, he says, two-thirds two-thirds of fhe'total area has been placed in forest reservations. Similar conditions condi-tions exist in many other counties. The attorney savs he does not wish to criticise criti-cise the theory of the forest reserve, yet it must be admitted that vast areas are so held which, if thrown open, would be settled and developed. "It is startling to contemplate the necessary retardation in the development develop-ment and growth of the state of Utah by reason of the fact that such an immense im-mense area of. the territory is public domain, much of which cannot, so far as the present policy of tho government is concerned, at any time be settled or developed, and which cannot, at any time, help meet the burden of expense of tho government of the state." The attorney general suggests that the legislature present a memorial to congress setting forth these conditions and seeking relief. State Should Have Title. j The next item of special import treat- ed by the attorney general is that of . the state's title to public school lands : which may be mineral bearing. He calls attention to the fact that, under j the enabling act, by which Utah be- j came a state, the government granted to the state for school purposes sections ' 2, 16, 32 and 36 in every township of i the state, making no reservation as to mineral lands. Since then, however, the department of the interior has placed a construction upon the grant under which it contends that any school lands which may now be found to be mineral bearing are not the property of 'the state, but that title to such 'lauds remains re-mains in the government, under t he terms of the general mineral land act. The state of Utah has contested this contention of the interior department with the government itself, but without with-out success. Subsequently, suit to settle the issues involved was instituted in the federal court for this district in the case known as the Arthur A. Swec-t case. In the trial court here decision was adverse to the state. An appeal to tho circuit court of appeals resulted in a reversal of. the lower tribunal. The matter is now to be carried to the supreme su-preme court of the United States by the losing sideband the attorney general gen-eral urges that the state of Utah put forth every possible effort to maintain its rights and to win its case before the court of last resort. In dealing with the school tax levy the attorney general notes that the last legislature reduced the. maximum levy for nearly every purpose, the idea being to compel the higher valuation of property prop-erty and the futl taxation nf all property prop-erty under this higher valuation. lie believes this is a proper method, but thinks it works a hardship upon the public schools of the state, which are growing more rapidly in proportion than any other branch of the government, while at the same ti.nie its sources of revenue are more limited. Should Draw Interest. Because of this condition he bolidves the maximum limit of school ley should be increased by the coming legislature. Tho attorney further recommends that the legislature make another effort ef-fort to bring about a constitutional amendment, under which state funds may draw interest on tho deposit. JJe believes that all such funds should be reaping some additional revenue for the state. It is tlm opinion of Mr. Karnes that the subject ot taxation and revenue is a matter which should be considered by a constitutional convention. He believes be-lieves that such a radical change as was submitted to vote of tire people this year should rather have been submitted to a constitutional convention, where it could have had more thorough and detailed de-tailed consideration, and where its merits mer-its and demerits eon 1. 1 be more clearly and definitely ascerta n ed . .Mr. "a r m es. declares there is no dnuht but what the I;;w governing taxation of mining property prop-erty should be changed and some'provi-sion some'provi-sion made, whereby these properties? may be so assessed and taxed that thev will meet their proper proportion of the expense of government. In regard to inheritance taxes, the attorney general urges that no attempt be made to re. luce the rate of thi taxation taxa-tion of estare nf any sorl. ffc declares de-clares that the state 'would not onlv lose revenue, but that operation of the inheritance law would be impaired thereby. His report shows that during his term of office he hn collected inheritance in-heritance taxes amounting to $1.61,-604.(5H, $1.61,-604.(5H, and during tho biennium iust closed the collections have amounted to $277,576.54. |