The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-06-29
SINGLE TAN AGAIN.

The East Oregonion has had another
recrudescant fit of Singletax. 1t de-
nounces as the only ''real cranks" the
newspaper men as well as many other
people who are determined to tax stock
gamblers and railroad wreckers, capital
lists and such people" and affirms that
''laying burdens upon such people as
these is simply putting extra burdens
upon the shoulders of the real taxpayers
the producing classes" The CHRoNI-
Gle may not clearly understand what is
meant by the term railroad wreckers, .
but, if it includes the owners of the I'm
ion Pacific company, for example, which
pays a tax in Wasco county nearly equal
to one-sixth of the country s annual rev
enue, we wonld like the East Oreg0nian
to show what advantage the producers
of the county would reap from the re-
mission of this tax. Would the com
pany make reduction in rates equal to
the amount of its annual tax, or would
it continue to do, as it has already done,
never make any concession except when
driven to it by stern necessity? Is it not
a fact that the only thing that ever acts
ON such corporation. so as to superin-
duce reduction of rates, is competition
or the force of statutory law ?
Would not an opposition line of boats
between this city and Portland be the
means of putting more money in the
pockets of the producers than the ex-
emption of the railroad from taxation
for the next Thousand years would ac-
complish?
The same argument will apply equally
to the stock gambler, and to the capital
ist also, though in less degree, for
after all it is largely the scarcity or abun-
dance of money that fixes the rate OF
interest. We say lar gely because we are
perfectly willing to admit that to a large
extent the borrower of money pays the
tax. But all personal wealth Is not in
the shape of loans. Here is man who
purchases piece of ground worth, say
ten thousand dellars, he builds a house
on it worth million, furnishes it at Il
cost of another million. BY what rule
of equality or justice shall these two
millions be withdrawn from bearing
their just proportion of the public charg-
es? Exempt them from taxation and
thu burdens they ought to bear must be
transferred to other shoulders
The zeal of the East Oregonian for the
single tax system has led it into an in
accuracy of statement, scarcely excusable
in journal that assumes so much men
tai and moral superiority. 1t says, ''to
collect taxes on personal property, with
any accuracy, the expense of doing so is
very nearly as much as the receipts. y
As matter of fact the state law fixes
the fee of the tax collector lin this coun-
try one and third per cent OF all taxes
collected) and this fee is every cent it
costs the several counties to collect their
taxes. If the sheriff fails, from any
cause, to collect tax, the time spent in
the effort is his own loss. If taxes are
collected by distraint and sale, the extra
fees are paid out of the proceeds, and
the cost of the county is no greater than
if the collection had been made volun-
tarily. Is one and third per cent Every
nearly equal to the receipts?'' The ed
itor of the East Oregonian should not
allow his zeal TO run away with his YER
acity.