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Show UrgeTaxpayers Stem Rising Expenditures Taxpayers of all classes and from all parts of the state are asked to share the general obligation to protect pro-tect themselves against the rising tide of excessive taxation, according to a resolution which was passed unanimously at the annual convention con-vention of the Utah Taxpayers Association As-sociation held Saturday, February 30 at the Hotel Utah. By a rising vote the large convention urged further that it was "in our own interest, and for our own economic salvation henceforth to be active rather than apathetic; that we co-operate where we have criticized and that we remove re-move prejudices in favor of personal participation." It was with this message ringing in their ears that the taxpayers closed what is held to be the best - convention of its kind ever held in the state during the 11 years of existence ex-istence of the Association. Governor Henry H. Blood, who sounded the keynote of the session, expressed his appreciation to the Taxpayers Association for their constructive con-structive assistance in gathering and disseminating helpful information informa-tion and illuminating facts upivn cur tax situation not only in the state, but in all the taxing units throughout Utah. Speaking as the presiding officer of the convention and Chairman of the Association, Judge J. A. Howell urged that the taxpayers regard the problem of taxation as their own, one that cannot be delegated to others. Mr. Ephraim Bergeson of Cornish, Corn-ish, past president of the Utah State Farm Bureau, warned againr.t failure on the part of the taxpayers tax-payers to study their local budgets, bond issues and levies, where most of the taxes originate. He condemned condemn-ed any disposition to repudiate taxes after they are once authorized. author-ized. Senator Paul Hunt, a member of the Committee of Nine appointed by the Governor to investigate public pub-lic affairs, gave an impressive outline out-line of taxes from the standpoint of ability to pay. By the use ot graphs and charts he showed how n tax above a certain point brings diminishing di-minishing returns and that the taxes which go beyond that point react unfavorably upon all business and therefore tend to confiscation. The school program was presented by Dr. L. John Nuttall, Jr., Supt. of Salt Lake City Sschools and Dr. LeRoy E. Cowles of the University of Utah, who explained that the schools were there for the people and that the people must decide the extent of the education desired and that the people must be prepared pre-pared to pay for the service they demand. Hon. Franklin Riter, in a ringing speech, warned against the apathy of the public when great issues of economics and finance are to be . determined; that with the growing deficits in public affairs we are fac-:ed fac-:ed with collapse of government itself it-self unless the taxpayers stand out boldly against unbalanced budgets. The Resolutions Committee, under und-er the chairmanship of Mr. S. M. Nielson of Mt. Pleasant, urged the enforcement of the audit and budget bud-get laws in every taxing unit in the state; they warned against excessive excess-ive borrowing; they called upon the Federal government to balance its budget; they maintained that tangible tan-gible property had reached the saturation sat-uration point as far as its ability to assume any further burdens; they asked the Governor and the incoming legislature to set up machinery ma-chinery for an official, impartial consideration of tax systems and assessments rather than to have individual in-dividual groups and bodies clamoring clam-oring for systems of their own device, de-vice, calculated to relieve their own taxes by shifting their burden upon the shoulders of others. The resolutions reso-lutions called upon taxpayers to refrain re-frain from joining any movement calculated to discourage the payment pay-ment of taxes since such an undertaking under-taking would destroy all orderly government and would paralyze our whole industrial and economic structure. As a result of the co-operative movement begun between the schocls and the taxpayers, it was urged that a committee, made up jointly of teachers and taxpayers, should consider their mutual problems pro-blems and report their findings to the public. Among these subjects were junior colleges, free text books, transportation service, consolidation of schools, the extent to which free public instruction should be given; and the extent to which those engaged en-gaged in the school profession, either ei-ther individually or collectively, should participate in controversies dealing with tax systems and other financial aspects of schools. It was further agreed that local ccr.entions should be held in the key c't.es throughout the state to bring home the message of the state convention ot the taxpayers in their respective localities. Such a convention will be arranged in this comi .unity under the direction of the local committee of the Taxpayers Taxpay-ers Association, it is teported. |