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Show ATTACK SCHOOL RAID ON TAXES I Utah, Among Others, Subject Sub-ject to Increasing Burden, Bur-den, Article Says. Western states are belnc BUbJected to a raise in tnxes by organized school machines, according to an article In the current Issue of the Manufacturer nnri industrial Newi Bureau of Saicm, Oregon which also calls attention to the rapidly Increasing taxes In Utah The article bays In part. "Reduction of tax revenues of the Itate of Utahi by renson of the fact that property owners allowed their property to be sold, rather than pay their 1921 taxes, amounted to $329.-769 $329.-769 12, according to a tabulation prepared pre-pared in the office of Mark Tuttlo, State auditor. This Is 6 fi per cent of th total amount of taxes due the state from the countv treasuries, based on the total assessed valuation reported by each county An analysis of lh tabulation for 1921 taxes shows that In fourteen of the twenty-nine counties the amount of relief taken by the county treasurers treas-urers exceeded 10 per cent of the estimated esti-mated revenue tn Kane county It ran ns high as 17 6 per cent The amount allowed for double, Illegal and erroneous assessments In that countv w:is proportionately high, but eliminating this and the few abatements abate-ments allowed by the county board. It Is Indicated that 38.7 per cent oi the value of the property In Kano county failed to pay their 1921 taxes up to the time the treasurer sent in his claim for relief. It also discusses the public debt of the state and shows a per capita debt of $10.26. and calls attention to the levies made for arlous purposes by the state,, the counties, cities and towns and school district.- Then It devotes several columns to the steadily stead-ily Increasing tax in I'tah and the west Kenrally for Hchool purposes. SCHOOL M At HI M S CRITICISED, "Western states arc being subjected subject-ed to raids from the organized school machines that are not based on more efficient teachers to train our children, chil-dren, but maximum salaries Tor anv one who happens want to enpajr- in teaching for a few years. ' It asserts. "In the state of Washington the 30-10 school bill which will be submitted sub-mitted to the voters at the general election In November, is a tax Increasing In-creasing measure. The best Illustration Illustra-tion of the fact that the bill Is a tax-Increasing measure Is found In a comparison of the amount of revenue rals.-d under the 10-10 and 20-10 plans. "During the year 19 19. when public school revenue was raised on the 10-10 10-10 basis which means $10 from tho slate for every 110 provided by the school district the total amount of the levy, state, county and school district, dis-trict, was 911,991,701 2. in 1 920, under the 20-10 plan, the total levy was $26.o7S,481 21. 'Another claim that has been advanced ad-vanced to catch votes for the 3"-l measure Is that In the distribution of the funds certain districts will receive more money for schools than under the present plan. Even If this Is true. It should be remembered that districts also will be required to pay more taxes "The people of I'tah are learning that they ahould proceed slowly in enacting new legislation affecting taxation, tax-ation, as the net result Is usually a new hoist In the tax rates and once nn tliv nrf .qlnw In fnmfl ilnwn CITF KXI'MUl XCES. "For Instance, a constitutional amendment was adopted by the voters vot-ers at the general election of 1920. Tho effect of this was to remove the constitutional limit on state levy for district Brhool purposes and see what followed. "Prior to that time the state levy for all purposes could not exceetl five mills This amendment, which was made operative through an act of the 1921 legislature, authorized a s'ato levy equal to $25 for each person of school age. The effect of ihls was to Increase enormously tho stat levy, which Jumped to 7 1 mills In 1922, an Increase Of almost 50 per cent In two years. "The people were promised ihut with the adoption of this amendment and a law enacted to limit school levies for district purposes, The effect would be a redistribution of tho tax burdens, but under no circumstances an Increase. This promise wn not kepi and there Is no limit OD the local levy for district purposes, and the consequence is taxes are mounting mount-ing higher and higher The promise of redistribution of taxation U again made by advocates of state income taxation. The Increased school revenues reve-nues are going Into elaborate and palatial school buildings more than Into teachers' salaries or to furnish Letter Instruction for the children of the state." INDUSTRIAL NEWS COMMENT. The Manufacturer and Industrial News Bureau also pays Its respects to the three proposed constitutional nmendments'ln Utah which arc to be voted on this fall at the general election. elec-tion. "There are pending in L'tah three proposed constitutional amendments affecting state expenses and taxation," : It says "One of these amendments proposes increased compensation of legislators from $4 to $8 a day, or from $240 to $480 for the 6o-day session. There Is no evidence that a different class of men would go to the legislature by the Increase of $4 a day. Most men who get Into tho legislature consider the title of 'Hon.' worth more than any salary. "Another amendment would raise the limitation on state Indebtedness from 15 per cent to 2 per cent of tho assessed valuation. This is clearly an act. If sanctioned by the voters, o plunge the state farther in debt for bonds and Increase the annual Interest Inter-est burden of the taxpayer. "The third amendment Is one proposing pro-posing to give the legislature power to classify property for purposes of taxation and does not affect mining property." |