The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-11-03

WHAT WAS DONE, WAY, AND
WHAT ~ COST.


Higher Education. Agricultural En-.
caursrsment and Development
Stats capItol Building. Governors
Part n Legislation.
The cost Of running State or Terri
tofiAl government must come from one
" both Of two sources, except that IN
Territorial government they have the
third source of income. namely the
United States Government III Terrific
rial days Gas in Oklahoma Territory
phid 8 g0odly portion OF the coat OF
Territorial government, whereas in
State government the United States
Government pays nothing.
II II then question OF policy on the
part Of the State administration chos.
Ell by the people as 70 whether the or
dihary property taxpayers 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 intsagible profit
earning properties pay very little Of
the cost Of county, township, school
district or city government. II Is the
duty Of the administration of any state
to fairly shift ihe burden OF State gov
ernment on tothis class. They enjoy
the protection Of law aud should
therefore. share in its expense.
The Republican government OF Ok
Iahoma Territory after seventeen years
Of administration had only levied in
come for Territorial expenses on the
special privilege and franchise class
TO the gross amount In the entire Ter
fttory 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-seven dollars and the ordinary tax
payers paid seventythree dollars out
OF every hundred requirf 4 TO run the
government OF the Stale of Kansas
whereas In three years of State gov.
ernment, in Oklahoma. beginning with
certain provisions in the Constitution
aud added to by legislative action, the
special privilege and franchise class
contributed one million, one hundred
twesxe thousand dollars In single
year to the expense of State govern
ment as compared with less than forty
thousand dollars year under Okla
homs Territorial government, and now
out Of every hundred dollars required
10 run the government OF our state
sixty-two dollars viii be paid by the
~ eial interest and franchise class
And only thirty eight dollars by the or
tinary taxpsyers.
Il this looks unfair 10 the special
privilege and franchise class Just re-
member that local county, school dis
ft1ct 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
evary one OF these state revenue meas.
ures and demands their repeal
Is this what Joe means by "more
business and less politics7"
Reduction OF Taxes.
After two years experience II be-
came obvious that the counties. town
ships. school districts and cities were
inclined In most localities TO levy the
highest rate OF taxation authorized by
she Constitution. and as the only
means OF compelling the reduction Of
fsxation the late special session OF
the legislature was urged by me to
pass Law reducing the maximum
aevies that the public boards could
assess and only permitting higher lev
les up to the Constitutional limit IN
case OF an actual election at which the
people OF the locality might vote on
ahe question, II being understood thar
As a rule ninety-stz dollars out OF ev-
cry hundred OF your total taxes is local
tA&es levied by local boards, It was,
theMfore, my idea to limit the local
boards TO about tvothirds OF the for
mer maximum leyies and leave II to
the votes of the people TO go higher
~ they saw it. The law was passed
Neducing city leyies from ten mills
down TO seven mills; county levies
from nine mills down 10 five mills;
township levies from FIVE mills down
b three mills. and permitting no high
er leyies without a vote of the people
IN that community Notwithstanding
the Republican state machine were
0onstantly bowling about high taxes
the Journal Of the House OF Represen-
ta6yes on page 2S1 shows the roll call
by which this tax reduction bill was
made law. Every man who voted
for the law was Democrat and every
Republican member Of the House re-
corded on the vote voted TO defeat the
bill. There were number of good
men among the Republican members
Who we're anxious TO see the tax re.
14-..afIsn k(fi b>n<xx~,. /, f... 49, l.. A.