Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-05-17
EDITORIAL

eq,kd fn these -four prppD1ed oTain
aooes for squeezing additional reve
nues out Of the people. The policy o.
the present. mayor seems to Be 70 ID
crease tares, rather than econOmi-e
The city Is running under ten milI
tar. whereas last year it was eight
mills. SOr il Is proposed t. levy tax
on all insurance agents. psWDbrOkers'
doxs a0d TO license plumbers. These
additional tz1es are to come out u
our citizens, and out % business men
already taxed. How FAR the occura-
ton tax win spread % one can tel, but
there are ffty occupations a. properly
taxable is tb.,se named aud 90 doubt
others will BE included. There j. 10
disposition % red1ce expense, when IL
+. veil koown that the assessment Tor
1897 will not be nearly what IL was for
1895. aud the taxes 70 Be received this
year will aggregate not nearly what
they did for Iss5 at the same rate
These are cold facts and DOT 10 be
bllnked b. the aldermen who vote
Tuesday night. It will be said this
Is the very reason for imposing these
additional taxes. IL BE- agreed that
reduced property values make IL
necessary " put % the extra taxes.
But high interest and high taxes
already make IL almost impossible ~
carry on business, and the number Of
places for rent that will stand vacant
will not be diminished /" those pro-
posed taxes.
what are these new tax billsy The
plumbing ordinance will create new
Offices Of a plumbing and drainage
board with the offices Of inspector at
tached, and their fees must all be paid
by the people. This is probably
good measure but 1t is too complicated
and would not be enforced except -
force fees out Of the property owners.
Many a rich man now eyades the
plumbing ordinances. VIII the new
license act be any better enforced?
We fear not, as the same men will
have 10 Ia charge, and II looks like
very complicated scheme 10 make 1t
osslbIe to exact fees and gives pos
sIbly no better protection 10 the
health OF the city. A simple ordin-
ance requiring standard plumbing,
recurring sewer connections, prohibit
Ing earth vaults, open drains or cess
pools would be adequate, II fearlessly
enforced.
The proposed tax oninsurance men
IS opposed by the insurance firms OF
this city. These firms are tax payers,
aud jealousy guard the insurance
rates 10 secure the lowest rates possl-
BILE for Salem. The insurance cOmpa-
nles pay a gross premium tax and
other taxes. What we want Is lower
rates OF insurance aud 10 tax the resi-
dent agents will not secure that. The
bill 10 license the pawnbrokers is too
small matter 10 talk about. A tax
on 80 small and feeble Industry shows
the desperate straits 10 which our re-
form mayor has fallen In search for
game. The one Salem pawnbroker
says lac would not take outthe license,
and no 8oubt loans on chattels and
personal property would still be made.
There is already dog tax law and IL
Is not enforced. II the most strin-
gent law is enacted Il will produce no
ftNtUuts nc DNANcA Nidea VI hbbn bph7
tribute about 600 or 500 and IL will
be used 20 kin other dogs whose own
ers are too poor 70 pay. The law will
remain dead letter, as the same men
aud the same dogs are here, aud will
bear the same relation TO the law that
they do nova relation OF friendly
indifference. All OF these added taxes
put together will not net the city five
hundred dollars. Already this admin
istratIon has entered upon career OF
extravagance that will leave II from
three 20 Ave thousand dollars behind
running expenses. IL has dismissed a
street commissioner without cause "a
make room FOR a political fayorlte