OCR Text |
Show VOICE OFJHE PEOPLE EQUITABLE TAXATION. I'M I tor Hepubllcan: There may bo many of tho taxpayers taxpay-ers In Cache county who aro not awaro that wo aro assessed higher than the people of any, other county In the stato ,and that a correct assessment of tho property of this county has never been made, when I say correct assessment assess-ment I mean by that no equitable as. sessment has evor beon mnde. Utah Is assessed much higher than Idaho or Wyoming, but If tho property proper-ty woro assessed according to Its nc-tual nc-tual valuation, and all tho proporty wero assessed, the burden would bo moro ovonly distributed and not so hard to boar. Ono great drawback In Utah Is the fact that tho state school lands havo been Bold for almost nothing as com- i pared with what the school lands of tho 8tnto or Idaho havo been sold. There tho school lands havo been grnded In prlco rroin ton dollars por aero and upwards, but none of It Tor less than ton dollars per acre, and aomo nt moro than twice that, and aa n consoquonco tho Incomo for tho support sup-port of tho schools In tho stnto Is somothlng enormous, bu hoio In Utah tho school landB havo boon sold for about $2.f0 per ncro nnd ns n result re-sult tho peoplo are burdened with heavy tnxes to support our schools. In somo parts of this county farm land which Is assoBsod at n valuation of J8.00 and $10,00 por atro Is reully ( worth more than from $10 00 to $13. i or ncre, which Is vei) iinlnlr ar should not bo allowed to continue. The custom of appointing dejfut uhsoBHiirs to assefs the localities oi iidlncta where thej ie!"'erlel.v re side, to assebs thplr neighbors nnd In tlmnte frlqnds. Is not a, prober thing t ii( i .It will novor buTproductlvo of good results. It will never bring about an equalization Or tmlff t rn ussosameijt and n better method should bo adopt ed. Tho commissioners lmvo accom pllelied one very desirable object In having pints made showing Individual ownership and with these to aid In listing tho land none of It should be overlooked hiitjill 'can bo assessed to tho proper owner. Now If two or three good prudent farmers wero selected from each precinct, men wjio aro acquainted ac-quainted with all the property In their precincts, or who could examine In . very short time thoso tracts wlfrch thoy are not already familiar "with, they coilld sit down with these plats before them nnd plnco tho actual cash valuation, or very nearly an nc-tunl nc-tunl cabh valuation upon all tho pro pcrty in tho precinct In less than one day tlioVj when all these cash valua tlnns coip.o In to the assessor' and canity commissioners ,who should leforo th,at havo made an estlmato of tho amount of revenue which must bo ralsod from the taxes for the actual needs or tho county and schools, knowing also tho rata or tho levy, they can reduce tho cash valuation, as returned by the appraisers, pro rata, and thus secure an equitable assessment assess-ment or (Ul tho property In the county, and at this no one should cofnplaln. This method would bo less expensive to tho cqunty and In this way a Just and equitable assessment cat bo made. It Is true that tho commissioners meot as u board or equalization, but surely thpro Is no ono who believes for ono mlnuto that thoy equalize the taxes. They do not ovon attempt to do II In a systematic wav .The time nn. copied by the board as a board or equalization could o used to a much better advantage In somo other wny. In saying this I do not doslro to cast any reflection upon olthor the assessors or tho county commission ors, for thoy nil follow tho examples of their predecessors .rulfll In a waj, the reqnromonts of tho law, but neither over accomplish tho objects foi which thoy nro elected, so far aa tho equitable assessment of tho propel pro-pel ty of their rospectlvo counties Is concerned. Tho peoplo should not sit Indlffrently by nnd nllow this condl- 1c n , things to continue, and find t H with tho 'officers for It, but thoy should Insist that a method' bo adopt! ,. whlcn will meet out Justlco and qvulity to the taxpajers. I am sure thut tho pfflcers we havo olectod will willingly lislcn to the wishes of the , eople. If wo will unite In expressing ihein, but if only n Tew clamor ror a proper adjustment or thqsp matters we need not oxpect that much heed will be given to tho icqucst. Let us get busy and start put aright at the hegiuulg of tho Now Year. J. Z. STRWAHT. |