The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-10-10

Guthrie. Oct. g.--lIciOrc the adop-
ton of the Constitution. people were
I'D 70 believe that state taxes would
bo ruinously high The old tcrritor.
.a.l gang of grattcrs who were oppos-
ing the adoption of the constitution
ointed out that most of the expenses
~ maintaining a territorial govern.
mcnt was borne by the federal gov.
'-u,ment and that in the event OF
statehood that these expenses. as
we'll as all expenses incident to cs-
tabhshng penucntarics schools, re-.
;ormatori, :, insane asymms. institu.
ions for the education of the deaf
md dumb and blind, would fall upon
-he tax payers.
Territorial taxcs was then running
rom sis % eight mills on the dollar
,llatiou The auti-Coustiwtiou
crpwd predicted that statehood would
uaccssitatc lu increase OF lyyy TO
twenty mills ON the dollar FOR state
purpose The average state tax for
yhe FIRST two years of statehood is
TWO and ouc-cighth mills instead OF
'vvnty mills or only about oue,lird
o' Jhr average Territorial levy
Thinking people ask Why this is
true and the answer is that under
democratic management corporations
are made 90 pay their part OF tho
taxes
Then there are fees collected by
'hc secretary of -tatc and insurance
commissioner amount'uE 10 thousands
md thousands OF dollars which go
into the state treasury instead OF the
pockets OF oniccholdcrs (as formerly
.nd relieve taxpayers of Just that
amount Of burden. Then there Is the
special taxes the collection OF which
is under the direction of the state
auditor
one OF these special taxes is called
rle Inheritance Tax provided for by
jl, FIRST legislature and Is a tax levied
upon certain gifts. inhoritguccs, Dee.
quests. legacics. dcyiscs aud success
,ions The amount of this tax is
computed by the judge of the county
court having jurisdiction and is pay.
able TO the county treasurer before
he final settlement OF any estate
ana county treasurer are required 20
make report OF this tax to the state
.ujitor At the present time this tax
IS not bringing I'm much revenue but
10 is tax that viii gradually grow
AND In time will, no dorOt. represent
81 large part of the state revenues,
indeed it Is not impossible that this
and the other special taxes will IN
time pay all the expenses of admins.
t"ring the affairs of state.
Tho Graduated Land Tax enacted by
The first legislature was not 50 much
for the purpose OF raising revenue as
for preventing the acquisition of large
tracts of land by persons or corpora
ions 10 the dctrimcnt of those who
actually till the soil Il provides the
lcyy of a special tax on all persons
md corporatiors owning land in this
state in excess Of go acres Of average
-lXable value and twenty dollars per
.crc has been fixes as the average
value OF oklahoma land provided that
80 acres shall %" exempt from tho
Graduated Land Tax regardless OF the
rauc thereof The levy runs from ou'
iamth OF one per cent 10 ten per cent
lD. anrum and became effective Jn,y
lst OF this year. This las will
have the effect of raising considerable
revenue in the future and will preycnC
the holding of large tracts OF land
such as has rctarcd the growth of
Kansas and many other states iE the
union.
The Income TlN as pro' led Tor I'm
Article 10. Chapter 81, Session Laws
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