The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-08
STRAIN WOULD Be 0REGONS GOVERNOR
Umalla County Assessor Announces Candidacy Through
Columns Of Portland Daily Journal

/ Charles p. Strain, assessor of Una
tilla county, would be governor Of
Oregon. It's long skip from county
assessor to the governors chair--tut
Grover was sheriff, you know. OF
Mr.. Strains candidacy the Portland
Journal says:
Charles P. Strain, we'll known
throughout eastern Oregon as the
assessor Of Umatilla county, has an
nounced himself to be candidate for
the Democratic nomination for COVER
nor at the coming primaries in Sep
| tenn ber.
Since 1909. when Mr.. Strain was
elected assessor of Umatilla county,
he has been prominent in the state
through his work as an assessor. He
has done much towards the enforce
ment of an equitable assessment of the
0. r. q N company and other corpora
tion holdings in Umatilla county, and
his lead has been followed by other
assessors in different parts of the
state In making his announcement
Mr., Strain goes into his record as as
SCISSOR of Umatilla county somewhat
in detail, showing some of the main
points of his administration.
The letter of announcement Is as
follows:
"It you will kindly allow me space
in your columns for the purpose.
will address myself to the people of
Oregon. In order to get my case be-
fore them. / shall have to speak in the
first person. reoounting briefly what
reforms l have been connected with
and the result of those reforms. My
public career began with my election
as assessor of Umatilla county in 1902
on platform pledging equal assess
ments as between private and corporate
property. found the o. R. and N.
company's railroad bed and right-of
way assessed at $4,000 per mile.
raised tito $4,000 per mile in 1908
and now in the 1909 roll have it as,
sessed at $40, 900 per mile.
ut was at first predicted that I
would fail to make my assessment
stick. When succeeded. it was
prophesied that the transportation
companies of the state would advance
their freight rates enough to recover
by increased charges what they had
lost in higher tax payments. then
began an agitation in favor of a state
railroad commission. One of the
leading contributions which Lmade to
that agitation was published in the
Sunday Oregon Journal of October
IA, 1905.
"The railroad commission was
created and it is one of the most effii-
cent commissions in the United States
today. 1t has reduced grain rates, as
l understand it, 40 cents per ton in
my own county from here to Port
land. This means an annual saving of
$48,000 to the wheat farmers of this
one county. The commission has also
made reduction of about IA per cent
on other freight charges east of the
Dalles. 1t has also reduced express
charges in this territory. am not at
this time advised what has been done
in other parts of the state. but pre-
sumo that every section of the state
has received benefit from it.
II found the tax laws of Oregon
inadequate to reach certain kinds of
property, especially franchises. The
tax laws were Obsolete and inefficient
in several respects Accordingly. /
began an agitation for temporary
tax commission. Such a commission
was created, the Honorable Fred w.
Mulkey of ortland, Honorable w. j.
Lachner of Baker county, and Honor
able e. B. Seabrook of Coos county
receiving the appointment as commits
sioners. This commission organized
by electing Mr.. Mulkey chairman and
Clyde B. Atchison, now railroad com
missioner, as secretary.
"As result of their excellent work
we now have this fine statute: 'The
terms land, real estate. and real pro.
perty. as used In this act shall be con-
strued to include the land itself.
whether laid out in town lots. or other
wise, above and under water, oil
buildings. structures, substructures,
superstructures, and improvements
erected upon, under or above. or affix-
cd to the same. and all rights and
privileges thereto belonging or in any
wise appertaining and all franchises
and privileges granted by or pursuant
to any law Of this state, or municipal
ordinance or resolution or oorpo, alton,
other than the right to be corpora
tion; and all mines. minerals. quar-
Ties. fossils. and trees in. under. OF
upon the land. Our tax laws were
improved in several respects.
~ found the assessor with power to
regulate the county school tax. The
state Law in 1902 required the county
court to levy five mill school tax
on the assessed value Of each county
respectively. 1t was then within the
assessors power to assess the property
Of bis county at any percentage OF its
actual value that happened to suit
him.
IF be chose TO do SO he could assess
the property Of his county 80 low