Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-09-26
STILL AG.TATING LEGISLATION.
The Newspapers Of the State Opposing {
and Rsyorins the Mortgage Tax
Law--0ther Suggestions.
No. I'LL.

thing else which they deem worthy
of discussion aud suggt stion rs well
as the mortgage tax, usury and ex-
emption laws. or these the JOUR-
NAL finds few interesting exam
piles.
The Tillamook Watchtowcr thinks
the county assessor failure aud
wants a township or precinct organ.
ization, with trustee. clerk and
treasurer. the trustee to be the asses
sor for his township or precinct,
where he is thoroughly acquainted
with the people and the property.
Ii would also have him take charge
OF all the roads and The road work,
the INDECENT aud needy, and make
all contracts fer bridges and read
work, the money to lie derived from a
cash road tax drawn from the county
by the township or precinct treas
urer as cull,ctr |. II would have
rOad supervisors elected Instead of
appointed by the county court as
now. There i great deal OF prac-
tical good sense, tsO, in these sug-
gestiuns. The politicai subdivisions
of Oregon arr very loosely organized
and this source uf government i too
far from tile people. The closer the
officer is to the source of the power
that puts him there the better SER
vice the officer j. liable 10 give, pro-
vided that source of power exercises
scru .iny over the work.
The Watchtower would also en-
able the Stale Supt., or some other
state authority tn invest the interest
of the irreducible school fund in
school-district bonds, properly vot-
ed for needed improvements, thus
enabling the districts To know just
how much they can get for their
bonds in advance and also giving
the school fund better security
than any land can be, besides doing
away with litigation, examination
OF titles and the like expenses and
and bother.
The Oregon Scout doesn't see the
philosophy in the system py which
the county pays a physician 50 upon
an examination which finds per-
son Insane, but not cent for All ex-
animation conducted IN the SAME
manner which finds the subject all
right; nor in the law which allows a
sheriff s. a week for board uf each
prisoner if he has four-S20 u week
but if he gets in two more, only al
lows him So week each, or SIS for
the lot.
The Astoria Pioneer thinks our di.
vorce laws are disgrace to cIviliza-
ton and form the greatest barrier To
the building Of happy homes, and
that they ought to be doctored.
But the great grist Of public opin-
ion is ground out on the mortgage
tax law, exemptions and the usury
law. The WOodburn Independent
on the first of these subjects, quotes
one of Marion county's senators, J.
b. LOOney, solid farmer, who has
had four years experience in the
senate and is now elected for four
more, as saying: ~ do not believe
it will be repealed, as too many
members were pledged against it.
The Marion county delegation is
against it and / am satisfied the
proposition will be rejected"
The Statesman SAYS: "The mort
gage tax law will be repealed by the
next legislature. no matter what
you or anybody else or .he Oregon
ian thinks about it,"
The law mIy not be entirely re-
Petled, but unreasonable prejudice
should not prevent careful search
after flaws and their fearless re-
moval.
The Baker City Reveille says that
while the Oregonian !. not always Z
right, il is eminently SD in its ad-
vocacy Of the repeal OF the mortgage /.
tax aud usury laws, aud goes on 10 4
say that the numbering, mining. I
aud stock raising indus /
tries of Eastern Oregon are suffering
terribly for want Of money for in.
which c;hInot lie had be-
cause of these laws. But the Al
bany Herald hits tina. line of argu-
ment terrific bndy.bow by expos
ing little very thin zOpistry used
by ali repealls,s. First, they say the
borrower has 10 pay all tiIe tax on
anyhow; also that the
usury law is a dead letter and high
rates OF Interest are collected in one
way or another just the same. Then
they tell Us that the state is going to
seed because capital will not come
N 10 be loaned where it il taxed so
nigh and where its interest is cur
allied. Now then, If the first two
assertions he true, what BECOMES Of ,
he last Two? The Herald says "Ihe
Iimple, true aspect Of the argument
$ that II 50 far surpasses tue ple,, Of ,
he devil in his temptation of Christ,
hat it lays that sulphuric, satanic
production in the shade"
A very sensible writer signing &
himself Takes" in the Roseburg ,
'laindealer, would have i, that "all i
lebts which are not matters of pub I
ic record should not he recognized (
lnder the revenue laws for PURPOSES +,