The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-11-03
BUILDING
A STATE
WHAT WAS DONE. WHY, AND
WHAT lT COST.
- 11l.,-.-T. rrTnT
CHATTER fths

eoursaemert and Development.
state Capitol Building. Governors
part In LEGISLATION.
The cost Of running State or Terri
forial government must come from one
or both OF two sources, except that In
Territorial government they have the
third source Of income, namely tie
United States Government in Terrific
nal days las ia Oklahoma Territory
paid a goodly portion Of the cost OF
Territorial government, whereas In
State government the United States
Government pays nothing.
II is then a question Of policy on the
part OF the State administration chos-
en- BY the people as to whether the or
dlnary property axpayers shall bear
the burden OF State government prac-
tically alone or whether special priyi-
leges. franchises and other intangible
property. the great sources OF profit
earning. shall stand their fair proper
tion Of the cost Of State government.
and inasmuch as the intangible profit
earning properties pay very little Of
the cost Of county, township. school
district or city government. it is me
duty OF the administration OF any state
TO fairly shift the burden o. State gov
ernment on to this class. They enjoy
the protection Of law and should,
therefore. share in its expense.
The Republican government Of ok
Iahoma Territory after seventeen years
Of administration had only levied in
come for Terrihs-.al expenses on the
special privilege and franchise class
70 the gross amount In the entire Ter
ritory OF less than forty thousand dol
lars per year, being equivalent to less
than eight dollars out Of every hun
dred dollars collected for the expense
Of Oklahoma Territory, the remaining
ninety-two dollars out OF every hun
dred being raised by direct taxation
levied on the ordinary taxpayers
In the State Of Kansas last year the
Kansas State Auditors Report shows
that the special privilege and fran
chise class in Kansas paid only TWEEN
ty-seyen dollars and the ordinary tax
payers paid seventy-three dollars out
OF every hundred required to run the
government OF the State OF Kansas,
whereas in three years OF State gov
ernment. in Oklahoma, beginning with
certain provisions in the Constitution
and added to by legislative action, the
special privilege and franchise class
contributed one million, one hundred
twelve thousand dolara in a single
year 10 the expense OF State govern
rneni as compared with less than forty
homa Territorial government, and now
out on every hundred dollars required
to run the government Of our state
sixty-two dollars will be paid by the
special interest and franchise class
and only thirty-eight dollars by the or
binary taxpayers
II this looks unfair to the special
privilege and franchise class just re
member that local. county, school dis
trict township and city government Is
almost entirely supported by the ordi
nary taxpayers and practically nothing
is contributed there by the special
privilege and franchise properties.
Joe McNeal opposed the adoption Of
every one of these state revenue meas
ures and demands their repeal
Is this what Joe means by "mers
business ard less poitics"
Reduction Of Taxes.
After two yeare- experience II be
came obvious that the counties, town
ships. school districts and cities wers
inclined in most localities to levy ths
I highest rate Of taxation authorized b,
the Constitution, and as the ONLY
means Of compelling the reduction O
taxation the late special session o.
the legislature was urged by me t.
pass a law reducing the maximum
levies that the public boards coulC
assess and only permitting higher lev
les up to the Constitutional limit IL
case Of an actual election at which th'
people Of the locality might vote oI
the question, ii being understood tina
as a rule ninety-six dollars out OF ey
cry hundred OF your total taxes is loca
taxes levied by local boards. 1t was
therefore, my idea to limit the loca
boards to about two-thirds Of the for
mer maximum leyies and leave it 4
the votes of the people TO go highe
II they saw At. The law was passei
reducing city leyies from ten mill
down to seven mills; county leyie
from nine mills down to five mills
township legies from FIVE mills dow
70 three mills, and permitting no high
er levies without vote Of the peopI
in that community Notwithstandin
the Republican state machine wer
constantly bowling about high take
the journal Of the House Of Represer
tstiyes on page 2s1 shows the roll cal
BY which this tax reduction bill wa
made law. Every man who vote
for the law was a Democrat and ever
Republican member Of the House r.
corded on the vote voted to defeat th
bill. There we're a number OF goo
men among the Republican member
who we're anxious to see the tax r.
duction bill become a law, but Joe Nj