Show HOW TO VOTE ON TIDE THE constitutional CONSTITUTION TAL A amendments when the voters of utah go to the polls on november 7 they will have to elect not only a U S senator certain state officers and full county ticket but they will also have to answer yes or no in regard to three proposed amendments to the constitution of the state of utah amendment no I 1 proposes to raise the bonding limit tor for the state from 1 to 2 per cent of the assessed valuation no 2 is suggested for the purpose of classifying all property including moneys s and credits as well as physical property with a view to effect a more equitable distribution of the tax burden no 3 proposes to increase the compensation of members of the state legis laruie from four dollars to eight dollars amendment no 2 the full scope of which can be seen in trie the publication li in fit our legal columns strikes us as a very good one and we think every voter should answer yes to the question whether or not it ought to be incorporated in our basic statute As to amendments no 1 and no 3 we are of the opinion that they are not in the interest of the state and our taxpayers and tor for this reason they ought to be voted down frank evans the attorney of the state farm bureau a man who is student of tax matters and is well versed in the affairs of our state having served in the state senate has made a thorough investigation of the proposed amendment and recommends rejection of numbers 1 and 3 regarding the constitutional amendment no 1 he says judging from past experience it may be expected that if this amendment is adopted the public debt will increase accordingly and still another raise of 0 the debt limit will be sought in another ten or twelve years logically there should be some stopping place the increase in public debts has far outrun the increase in taxable property and population and while the state bonded indebtedness is but our total public indebtedness in all the taxing jurisdictions of the state is now in excess of forty one million dollars indifference towards public debts increases as the debts increase and there is but one salvation for the taxpayer and that is to get into the habit of looking dpn public obligations with the same regard as upon private obligations these debts must be paid and it is time to begin to reduce rather than to increase them the voter should set his face against all unnecessary expenditures in the administration of public affairs and pay his debts as rapidly as is consistent with efficient administration As to no 3 mr evans states undoubtedly every member of the next legislature will be pledged to a program of ece onomy and yet it if this proposed amendment prevails his first official act will be to increase his own compensation one hundred per cent about thirty states pay their legislators upon a per them diem basis and nearly all range from four to five dollars per day yet most of them are lar far greater in population and in wealth than utah oregon and kansas pay but three dollars per diem and south carolina and new hampshire but two hundred dollars per year it is true that in new york california colorado and illinois and a few other states the compensation is greater but when population and wealth and other conditions are considered there will be found no valid reason why we should be influenced by their example this is clear reasoning and we feel like mr evans when he says that these two propositions should be rejected by the voters of utah |