The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-01-13
Anew Extracts from the Message
of Governor Chamberlain.
TIMELY RECOMMENDATIONS
Favors Establishment Of Whipping
Posts for Wife 6eaters; Making
Desertion by Husbands Of Their
Families a Penalty.

Governor George E. Chamberlain has
submitted his message to the legislative
assembly of the state of Oregon. 1t
deals with all public questions in con-
else manner and is a complet guide
for legislative action. The following
subjects are discussed:
Taxation.
The experience of the last legislature
should be a warming to this not 10
attempt too much in the way of amend
ing statutes on the subject of taxation.
A general amendatory statute hastily
passed then. necessitated the convening
of the legislature in special session TO
cure defects that invalidated the same
That the laws of the state bearing
upon this subject are badly out of
joint and sadly in need Of revision,
goes without saying. There is a gem
eral lack of system in them taken as
whole. but 1t is questionable If mar
mony could be restored If the whole
time of this session were devoted to an
attempt to bring order out of chaos.
1t is possible that If tax commits
sion were appointed to gather data, and
frame law to be reported two years
hence. beneficial results might be at
tanned. This course has been pursued
in other states with partial success,
and ii might be well to give it trial
here Much property escapes its just
proportion of taxation, and this is par
ticularly true in the case Of personal
property and money. and Improvements
on real property. This is susceptible
of demonstration beyond any doubt.
The summaries of the assessment rolls
of the various counties for 1903 as filed
in the office of the secretary of state,
show that the value of Improvements
on decided and undecided lands was So
405, ,462 and on town and city lots was
S31,192.221, or a total assessed valua-
ton of all improvements Of s40.597.-
$50. The risks written by fire insur-
ance companies on property situated
within the state for the year ending
December, 1903. amounted to s95,531.-
4S4S4 1t is safe to say that more than
so per cent of this insurance is upon
improvements upon real property.
When it is remembered that a very
large part of these improvements carry
no insurance, and that property Isl
usually insured for only about half its
value, it will be seen at glance what
an enormous valuation on this class of
property alone escapes taxation. The
assessed value of money for the same
year was $1,375,970. If any one Is in
terested enough in the subject to give
it passing consideration, he will ascer-
tain from an examination Of the last
reports to the comptroller of the cur
rency made by the national banks OF |
the state, that there are many single
banking institutions that have on de-
posit amounts largely in excess of
the total assessment on money.
s.f Normal Schools.
In my first message to the Legislature
recommended the abolishment of at
least two of the normal schools of the
state. Instead Of needing this recon-
mendation bill was passed, but vetoed
by me, creating an additional one. If
those already established are to re-
main as fixed and permanent institu-
tions 1t is the duty of the state to i'm
prove the service which these schools
now render to the people by confining
appropriations for their support to
their legitimate work of training teach
ers. There is increasing demand for
thoroughly trained teachers. The I
work of normal schools could be made i
far more effective for this purpose by
eliminating all preparatory work, and
concentrating the labors of their facul-
ties upon a purely professional course
of study. There is no economy In TAX
ing the time of a state normal school 4
faculty for teaching pupils in grades
that are already provided for in tn
common schools.
An important educational reform