The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-01-07

l
PIE generally voted on the question in
/ the belief tnat they were ropoiling arti-
C,e,l, Ce OF sad sem senate Bl no 81 Ear. Tn,.h
/ fore proclaimed the local dispensaries
closed. since which date, the District
| Court OF Logan County has held that said
! Article l WAS not repealed. ] directed an
/ appeal from the decision OF said District
/ Court To- the supreme Court. where the
| case Is sti.l pending. and have refiscd
! to reopen the local dispensarics until
| the supreme Court shall have decided the
I case. and especially express to YOU the
| hope that the will Of the people shall De
/ respected FOO all matters OF government
| want TO assure this honorable body
/ a. well a. the people Of the state that
/ local public officers must have the active
support OF the law abiding people oi ihe
| community before just complaint can be
made tor the failure of the local Oniccr'
/ 10 fu.S succeed in the discharge OF thcif
/ I believe that on the whole It may
] properly he said that the enforcement OF
/ prohibition has proved 10 praguca9Ie' and
/ that wish greater effort and popular sup
/ port the enforcement Of this law can be
. ss complete as other misdemednor and
. criminal statutes.
/ I hope your honorable body will look
] into this question and provide proper as
/ sistIuuc and relief for these courts.
10 viii Doe remembered that senate BiIl
No 81 1s 10 finally passed. eliminated all
provisions originally contemplated giving
. tN' governor any degree of power In the
. matter of enforcement. further than to
. encourage and advise local officers. This
. We have done with the utmost energy and
. dII .,rgo. and will continue To do. but /
/ feel that if the governor is To he held
. responsible by The people of the state for
Jaw enforcement such responsibility can
1 ouN Justly attach % hc is given reason
able powers Of enforcement
Taxation
/ In our state. az well as in every other
. civilized government the burden Of the
cost of goyerumcnt Is AN important con-
siderauon. our people want public i'm.
/ pruveWeuts. additional facilities, peace
. aud order maintained. and other matters
/ of public interest or necessity provided
and conducted In great state, this
means volume Of money. and therefor.
taxation OF our people and property
I The irst principle of taxation h. equity.
/ Let dN classes OF property and sources of
/ proht contribute their equal and just
share To the cost OF government our last
legislature provided various sources uf
] revenue, direct taxation, license fees.
] Franchise, gross revenue. Inheritance and
J other measures. and YOUR state Board Of
. Assessors and Equalization has exercised
It's best judgement for the current year.
In the assessment OF railroad and other
. pubic service corporations. n was the
. opinion OF the Board that the former
/ assessment In Oklahoma Territory had
/ been far below the average Of private
property In general and while public ser
vice corporation property had the pre-
. Nious year, In Oklahoma Territory been
/ valued at sum total equal to one
seventh OF all taxable property. In the
. opinion of the state Board this year.
the valuation OF public service corporation
property was raised greater IN proportion
than the valuation OF other private tax
able property 50 that this year the public
service corporations in addition TO other
gross income and special privilege tax.
will be two-sevenths OF the general taxes
OF the state on an ad valorem basis.
The State Board believes that no In
Justice was done the corporation property
even In this great increase OF valuation,
as Will be found by considering the net
earnings of these various corporations.
4
OF the vast number OF public service cor
poratiOns, only two-namely the Western
Union Telegraph Company and the Pull
man Palace Car Company appealed from
the valuation fixed by the state Board.
The state Board levied by direct taxa
tlon, only one and one-puarter mills on
the dollar. for state purposes We be-
licvcd that a rigid enforcement of the
gross income and other special privilege
taxes. fully warranted this low per cent
OF direct taxation for state purposes. and
that with a few years further develop
mcnt OF the state, the state government
will be able from year to year To de-
crease the per cent OF taxation for state
T.. poses.
As 10 the gross production tax. the act
Of the first legislature was necessarily an
. experiment. and time only could demon
strate whether or not injustice, IN the
form OF double taxation. had been impos
! ed upon any class Of property strong
appeal was made to the legislature TO
exempt oil from the gross production tax,
lpon tho ground among other reasons,
tldt SuCh a large volume OF inc OF pro
ductiou would be found on hand at the
annual assessment date. and required tu
pay the regular ad Nt'prcm taxes, that.
therefore. 30 would not be- subject to am
additional gross p~odlp tion taN At that
time. I'm my conn. .uICatiOn 10 the leg s.
latur" lt will br .,und that | suggested
legislature could he depended upou 10
carefully Investigate the fact ANA deal
Justly with tho question. IN pursulnCe
able body do investigate. with a view 10
IaScor'ainlng whether injustice rs bniu 4
done 20 this class Of property. ana II vpu
tainly create strictly oquitdh'" conditions.
In this regard az well a. in any other iu-
equities that may exist In the department
EVERY ITEM OF PROPERTY. AMI
SOURCE or PROFIT not. SpECIALLY
ENEMT Under THE CONSTITUTION
FAIR SIiARE ar TANES. No MORE.
AND so LESS.
Excessive Taxation.
Just A. the state Government has had
is unusual burdens incident to the or
gdnizition of this new state, so have the
county and district authorities, particu-
larry IN the forty counties Of former In
dian Territory had even greater ddtics
and cuIbarrassmcnts to contend with.
They began Statehood without local or
ganiZdtiCn. and in many Instances, with
out FORMER experience. The state laws
we're in 4 chaotic condition. and the great
est possible difficulty confronted local oTi-
GERS from the Indefinite character ana uu-
certainty of our laws and the seeming
conflict between inherited oklahoma Ter
rit0ry LAWS and the new laws passed ny
the last legislature, rs a result I'm many
school districts, townships, incorporated
towns and counties. the constitutional
limitations on tax leNles We're over look -
I'd and the necessities OF tax money for
the conduct of local affairs were over esti-
mated 20 that In numerous parts Of our
state, district and county leVies were
made IN excess OF the constitutional linz
ltations; also, IN many cases, whore
within 'hc constitutional limitations. the
levies were excessive, because they COW
cred subjects or provided a much greater
sum OF money than local necessities re-
quired
on account OF complaints as 10 Excess
sive taxation, I began some six weeks
ago, 4 careful investigation and called
upon the State Examiner and Inspector
10 aid In the Investigation and an effort
to relieve the tax payers from these eX-
cessive levies. This investigation con-
vinCcs me that the department OF the
state Examiner and Inspector can be OF
inestimshle benefit TO the tax PAYERS by
being, by proper legislation, brought in
direct connection with the revenue de-
..ft 80. IL.