East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-01-12
THINKS S0L0NS
WILL Do DUTY
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Of the treasurer and secretary Of state
show in detail the receipts and dis
bursements during the two years end
ing September 30, 1908, and the bal
ance now I'm the hands of the treas
urer of the several funds Of the state.
Tax Levy.
1t must be expected in the very ma
ture of things with the steady increase
in population and the consequent in
crease in the burdens and expenses Of
government that the tax levy will be
higher, unless subjects which now es-
cape taxation are brought within the
taxing power. fear to recommend
any revision of the assessment laws
of the state, but it is unfortunate
that some system has not been adopt
ed to bring about a uniformity of as
sessment and taxation in the several
counties Of the state. The constitu-
ton requires that taxes shall be uni
form and equal, but it is we'll known
fact that in most of the counties of
the state, personal property and mon
ey almost entirely escape taxation. In
some counties lands are assessed at
from one-thrd to one-half of their
actual cash value, while in others it
is assessed at two-thirds of its value,
as required by law. Until some uni
formity of assessment is devised there
must be inequality of taxation, and so
long as some property escapes taxa
ton entirely and real property is not
assessed at cash value, the levy for
county and state purposes must con-
tinue to be high, and taxation must
lack the constitutional requirement of
equality and uniformity.
Educational Fund.
Irreducible School Fund.-The ID
reducible school fund of the state has
increased during the past two years
from the sale of land and other
sources. SS3O,72O.21. the principal
thereof on the Goth day of Septem-
Der, 1908, being $5,429,9S0.6O. OF
which sum $4,2O6,71S.42 is invested
in first mortgage loans drawing six
per cent per annum; $263,645.000 in
school district bonds bearing five and
six per cent per annum S659,410.45
i'm certificates Of sale of school lands,
bearing six per cent, seven per cent ana
eight per cent; $3.50 in farms pur-
chasel by the state as foreclosure
sales cash in bank. $11,4S4.S6; the
balance thereof, $2SS,426.S7, was in
the Title Guarantee and Trust COM
pany's bank at the time it failed, and
is secured by the obligation Of the
American Sudity company, drawing
interest at the rate of five per cent
per annum, and due and payable De-
cember 81, 1909, although the COM
pany has paid thereof in advance of
maturity and since the end of the fis-
cal year, s33,723.S6. The agricultural
college fund principal now amounts
to S195,S78.S2, and is all loaned ex-
cept S1,166.96, and the university
fund principal is $104,205.36, and is |
all loaned except OS40,3O.
The amount of interest accruing
from loans of the irreducible school |
fund FOR 1908 and distributed among
the counties of the state was $685. |
O67.2O, as compared with $2472S9.13 |
Cor 1907. All of these educationa |
funds are in excellent condition.
State Lands.
The reports of the state land board
and state land agent show the tran
sactions of the board with respect to
school, indemnity, and other state
lands, The price of school lands has
been raised to s. per acre. and in
some cases slightly larger price has
been obtained, while the price receiv-
ed for indemnity lands s $S.75 per
acre, which covers the expenses Incl
dent to perfecting the selections, net
ting the state about $500 Pc" acre. At
no time in the history of the sta.a has
so large price been received, Cor it
must not be forgotten that the prices
now being obtained are for lands
which are left over after the best of
the prihcely grant which was made to
the state had been disposed Of in for
mer years, 1t is very greatly tn be
regretted that the school lards were
not i'm years past held for higher
prices, for had his been done rne
irreducible school fund might have
been large enough to have made it
to levy tax for the sup
port of the public schools,
The report of the state land beard
NGh reference to desa"t lands shows
the present staus of each of the seq '
regations made under the provisions :
Of the Carey act, and contains the :,
forms of contact. together with the
Jules and regulations which have been
adopted by the board for the protec-
lion of the state. the irrigation COM
panies, and the settlers Your atten-
ion is particularly called to these rec
)rds. and | am glad to advise you
hat with the exception of a suit now
pending with reference to the Co.
umbia Southern Irrigating company,
no trouble is being experienced in
,aring for or disposiug OF the lublic
ands of the state.
Asylum for the Insane.
The report of the superintendent
leals at length with present conditions