The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-10-27

would have been the first tax collec.
tion in state government and The to-
tai amount from the thirty.hye coun.
ties Of Oklahoma Territory, including
the nineteen so named, would have
been about six hundred fifty thousand
dollars but none Of II was collected
for the reason that the legislature on
my recommendation passed law in
December, nineteen hundred seven.
waiting the payment OF any Of that
tax by these nineteen as we'll as the
other sixteen counties Of Oklahoma
Territory for the reason that Indian
Territory counties were not assessed
and therefore the tax was an unequal
tax throughout the state-and could not
be collected The result of this waiv-
er Of the nineteen hundred seven levy
was to necessitate the making up Of
this loss OF taxes by later state levies
in part, while a portion of II was in.
cluded in the debts Of Oklahoma Ter.
rltory which we paid out Of tho state
bond issue being the debts Of Okla.
homa Territory, but the remainder Of
the loss, occasioned by waving the
state tax of nineteen hundred seven,
necessitated larger leyles In later
years, hence the only fair way to as
certain the average annual tax col.
lected from the taxpayers of the state
of Oklahoma for said purpose is to
take the four years from the tax col
lectlng periods.
State tax December, nineteen hun
dred seven, collection nothing
State tax December, nineteen hun
dred eight, collection the total levy
nine hundred twelve thousand, five
hundred dollars.
State tax December, nineteen hun
dred nine, collection, two million, one
hundred seventy thousand, three hun
dred sixteen dollars.
State tax December, nineteen hun.
dred ten, collection one million, one
hundred sixty-eisht thousand, seven
hundred fifty dollars.
Total for four annual tax collec-
tions four million, two hundred fifty.
one thousand, five hundred siyty.sIx
dollars, Is the total amount OF taxes
levied by the state Board during the
four years named, but the people
should understand that a portion Of
this total tax levy during said -four
years was not for the expense of state
government, and, therefore, there
should be deducted the following
amounts: 1
In the levy OF nineteen hundred nine
there was included one-fourth OF one
mill for aid to common schools, which
amounted to two hundred seventeen
thousand and thirty-one dollars.
Also in the levy for nineteen hrn.
dred ten there was included one.
fourth OF one mill for aid to common
schools. which amounted to two hun.
dred thirty,thfee thousand,o seven
huHuIcu llly uolldibs 4f
In the levy for nineteen hundred
nine there was included about one
hundred eighty thousand dollars to
pay for permanent public buildings,
Reformatory at Granite, Insane Asy-
lum at Fort Supply, School of Mines
at Wilburton, and University Prepara-
tory School at Claremore. These
permanent buildings are moi q part Of
the annual expenses Of state govern.
ment but are permanent property.
Also intthe levy for the year nine.
teen hundred nine there was included
little over one mill levy made neces-
sary by the courts enjoining the col
lection Of railroad taxes and certain
special privilege and franchise taxes;
and no man in the state had moro to
do with helping the corporations en-
barrass the state and burden the other
taxpayers by dodgine these taxes than
Joseph w. McNeal. He made affidavits
In court. and furnished appeal bonds
to help these special interests and cor
porations dodge the payment Of their
taxes. This one mill levy amounted
10 eight hundred sixty-elght thousand
one hundred twenty.slx dollars, sd
that these items aggregatlng aid 10
common schools four hundred fifty
thousand, seven hundred eighty-one
dollars, permanent public buildings
one hundred eighty thousand dollars
railroad and special privilege dehci
ences eight hundred sixty-eight thous
and, one hundred twenty-six dollars, a
total Of one million, four hundred nine
ty-eight thousand, nine hundred seven
dollars should be deducted from the
aggregate direct tax levy for these
four years, and leaves two million
seven hundred fifty-two thousand, si,
hundred fifty.nine dollars as being the
total amount of taxes collected In
three years OF state government bui
TO cover four annual tax collection,
showing the average annual tax col
lection to be six hundred eighty-eighf
thousand, one hundred slxty.five dol
lars per annum.
Don't forget. reader, that in Terri
torial days there was no levy made b,
the Territory for aid to common
schools and no levy made by the Ter
ritory in the years named for the erec
tion Of permanent public buildings
hence you will see that the amount o
direct taxes collected under state gov