The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-03-03
STATE OFFICIALS.
NO SPECIAL SESSION.

A correspondent of the Oregonian sign
ing himself ''Tax Reform calls upon
the press of this state to make solid
demand upon the governor, for special
session of the legislature to deal with
the question of tax reform solely. There
is no doubt that the demand for new
assessment law is above all other needed
state reforms the most urgent; but the
correspondents suggestion is impractic-
able for two reasons. In the first place
the governor would not call a special ses-
sion. He had enough of the last one
and wants no more of it. 1t matters
not how loud the press might demand it,
his excellency never wants to see their
face again, and this will be true of many
of them. The governor may be crank,
and on many things we believe he is,
the press of the state cannot turn unless
he wants to himself. He has a notion
of his own and generally sticks to it.
But the other reason is equally
forcible. The members of the present
Legislative body are not capable of max
ing a good assessment law. Many of
them are able men, now doubt; but as
the matter stands, no law could pass
both houses that would place the debtor
on an equality with the creditor Had
the law passed that was finally defeated
in the senate, the struggling poor-the
debtor CLASSIFY far the largest majority,
would have clamoured more loudly for
its repeal, two years from hence, than
they now cry for tax reform. No law
that will not allow the debtor to
deduct his honest debts, will ever
be popular in Oregon, till the people all
become millionares and that time will
never come. Much as we regret the
failure of the legislature to pass a good
assessment law, we have the comfort of
refecting that the people, who are now,
everywhere, waking up to their own in
terests, can carry the wa- into the next
campaign, and elect only such men as
will pledge themselves to support such
taxations laws as they may demand. If
this is done, as we believe it can and
will be done, the masses will be satisfied
with the result. The big assessment law
s@AN' PeAcSSh biiO iIOusC tIlu WAS u6I6aCGQ
by small majority in the senate. was a
clumsy, ill-digested, bungling piece of
work. The occasion of its defeat was an
amendment introduced by Senator
Tongue. The bill as it passed the house,
allowed deductions for mortgage indebt
edness only. Senator Tongues amend
ment was to allow other written evil
dences of debt to be deducted also.
Nothing, in our opinion could have been
fairer than this. If it was right to allow
deductions for mortgage Indebtedness. it
was equally right to allow the deduction
OF all notes of hand, where the debtor
could point out to the assessor the owner
OF the credit. The amendment went
upon the principle of allowing deduction
for all debts that could be taxed to the
creditor. The principle is fair, beyond
all controversy. 1t was too fair; that
was all allied it, and while the senate
passed the amendment, much to the
surprise of Senator Tongue, himself, the
Portland ring and their abettors, who
were first, last and all the time opposed
to all deductions, promptly killed the
amended bill, for spite. There will be a
big change in the Oregon legislature two
years from now, and the change cannot
come too soon. Till then we must en- |
dure the miserable system we have.
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