The San Francisco call., 1910-10-23
GRANGE FAVORS
new TAX system
John TuOhy Urges Voters TO
Support Constitutional
Amendment No.
Proposed Method Declared to
Be in Interest of All
Classes of Citizens

The following open letter mas oeen
addressed by John Tuohy, chairman of
xhe committee on revenue and taxation
OF the state grange. TO the press and
voters of California:
"As chairman of the committee on
revenue and taxation Of the state of
California and under resolutions passed
at its last annual convention at Napa,
] desire TO call the attention of mem
bers Of the order and of land owners
generally to the Importance and ne
cessity of voting for senate constitu-
fional amendment No. /, which pro-
Nides a more equitable and just system
OF revenue and taxation by which the
state will get its revenue from one
,pource and the counties. cities and dis
-1rtcts from another than the present
system makes possible
Il desire TO begin this communication
.by quoting the very telling expression
OF the Associated realty board of Cal
1fornia: Realty now pays over go per
cent Of all taxes in California Help us
}correct this injustice by advocating
constitutional amendment No l. This
Hleading is an inspired expression Of
fshe associated realty boards. con-
fEratulate them on it. II goes 10 the
0rVery pith of the subject
System CONDEMNED
I Much the greater per cent of the
FARMERS property is in realty. From II.
hy industry and thrift, he makes his
living and supports his family. That
s1hat one item OF property pays over
js1ine-tenths OF the taxes necessary for
;rhe support OF the state. counties and
sciues Of California proves its injustice
a2nd oppressiVeness, besides the other
sdact that in the settlement OF estates
tand otherwise it is a well known fact
szhat personally in value more than
tdoUh,cs realty. Such a revenue sys-
iTem is blot upon the state, fair and
progressive as u is in most other re-
iSpects. The people of California should
Semove it, Let the farmers, IN whose
.hauds the matter now rests, give us
.1he better revenue system provided by
Senate constitutional amendment No. !.
For eight wears the state grange
has studied and advocated more
HeQuitable and better system of revenue
$nd taxation. For two years. during
Hhe recess of the legislature, the COM
9nittee gave the subject its very best
Ahought. No interest was overlooked
and no interest but was fairly and i'm
partially considered. The commission
anade an exhaustive report of its work
10 the legislature and the legislature.
Ssfter much deliberation and discussion,
t3dopted the report and under constitJ-
sfionsl amendment No. 1 submitted the
taeviscd system of revenue and taxa
t1ion 70 the people for approval. The
system was new TO the people. It did
not get the support ii merited. BY a
small majority il was defeated.
BETTER EETHOD
1T would be useless TO discuss or
consider here the means by which the
? sulendment was defeated. it is. snf-
: ficient TO say that then and now it was
sand is admitted by all that the. amend
lnent provides for far better and more
equitable system of revenue and tax
sation than that under which we are
now taxed. In voting on Senate con-
..stitutional amendment No. l let the
voter bear this in mind.
Doubtless much tomr1-rot' criticism
will be made on immaterial points of
the amendment. The consideration of
such things should be ignored by the
honest voter Vote for the better sys-
TEN. 1t is a duty you owe to yourself
It is duty you owe to the community
The elective right is not an optional
privilege given 10 us. 1t is a moral
duty pertaining to good citizenship. Do
right and go ahead.
Assertions have been made and viii
be made again that the new system of
revenue does not require railroads
and syndicates to pay pro rata
for special city or district pur-
PuSeS- ray no dllenItOn 10 SUcl
misleading charges. All such things
are well considered by the commission;
such claims are now raised to divert
the attention of the honest but unin-
vestigsttng voter; they have no real
merits. Vote for the amendment and
you are Na+ing for a better revenue
system than you have now. Do not
forget this.
THRICE APPROVED
senate constitutional amendment No.
! has three times been discussed, ap-
proved and submitted to the people for
srheir approval BY the legislature. 1t
shas three times been approved by the
tstate grange, Patrons of Husbandry, a
fbody Of fair minded farmers. All have
sbeen sctuated by a desire solely to
chsve fair and equitable system of
Frevenue for the tax payers of the state,
land it is up to these conditions as
f1nuch as the conditions Of the state
twill admit Of JOHN TCOHY.
chairman Of the Committee on Reve-
nue. and Taxation of the State