Salt Lake Telegram | 1923-08-15 | Page 4 | Our Greatest Need

1 Our Greatest Need ' i 4 ; 1 X THE tfpmiorr of S.- R.-gfriheim,-Nw - York financier, who Is a visitor in Salt Lake, the greatest need of the nation today is . economy -in all directions. The country has not yet rid Itself of the spending fervor of ' wartime extravagance and Mr. Guggenheim, along with other financiers and economists, . believes that this Is a serious menace to our complete recovery from the excesses of wartime. war-time. ; Mr. Guggenheim, naturally, lays stress on the need of savings In the conduct of government, govern-ment, placing the burden of leadership In this ' movement where it naturally belongs. City, state and county officials In these days should be models f economy and thrift It is difficult diffi-cult to lead the Individual Into habits of thrift when officials are spending more than ever before. The individual who would be thrifty Is discouraged when he finds that his meager savings on the family bud-get are wiped out In increased taxes. Taxes must come down before any material, headway can be made in establishing the economies which are held to be the greatest 'need of the nation. The officials of the governmental units of Utah " are slow to grasp the , Importance of this .movement . " In spite of an Increased valuation, county officials this year feel compelled to raise the ' county portion of the rate over that of'aH recent years. The state raises its share of the general tax rate, while the city makes the 1 smallest possible reduction. While the school 1 district makes a more Important reduction, ' this is a slow way to arrive at the needed 1 economies. We should have reached the turn- ' ing point in-taxes three years ago. The tendency ten-dency of taxes now should be downward and ' there is little defense for those officials who demand taxes in excess- of those' which prevailed pre-vailed during the war.