Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-02-24
OREGON WILL BE SINGLE TAX
BATTLE GROUND IN 1912
BODY IS TOO UNWIELDY
Multnomah County Delegates Not
Up to the Standard of the
Country Districts

Senator II. d. Norton returned
from the legislature by way of Port
land, where business called him, the
early part of the week. The work OF
the law-making body kept him busy
from the opening of the legislature
until It's close, and 1t being the sec
ond session he quite naturally was
called upon to do many things
which a new member escapes. A
representative of the Courier talked
with him in regard to this session
and the work it had accomplished,
and in reply he said;
"The product of the legislative as
sembly is not apt to be any higher
in quality than the average Of the
intelligence of the members, but 1t
may be much lower according as
political prejudice and factional
strife enter into the deliberations of
the body.
"The product of the 26th biennial
session of the Oregon legislature is
to my mind remarkably good, when
we consider the membership elected
under the Oregon system represent
ed numerous warning factions with
in the republican party, each of
which was determined to destroy
every other faction.
"As chairman of the committee on
assessment and taxation, and as a
member of the judiciary, the irriga-
tion and the fish and game commit
tees, ! was in position somewhat to
compare the results Of the legisla-
tion with former sessions.
"The appropriations were cut
down to about half the amounts de-
manded and perhaps really needed
by the various state institutions,
which have outgrown their present
facilities for meeting the states re-
quirements. The larger appropria-
tlons were for educational purposes.
and will yield the state valuable
return In better citizenship OF the
coming generation. The good roads
measures also called for large ap-
preparations, and In such counties az
Josephine will yield to the county an
amount largely in excess OF It's pro-
portion OF the state tax, the greater
burden falling upon Multnomah
county, which pays one-third OF the
taxes Of the state.
Along the line of good and bene-
ficial legislation was the irrigation
district bill, the various bills which
brought the irrigation code into a
workable condition; the good roads
measures; the new banking law,
which provides rigid regulation and
inspection OF state banks; the public
utility commission, which gives
responsible head the necessary pow
ers to regulate public utilities In the
interest OF the people; the state i'm
migration bill. which inaugurates
state campaign for immigration pur-
poses the forestry bill. for protec-
tIon OF timber holdings against for
est fires, and systematic insurance
regulations which gives the insur-
ance commission the needed powers
to regulate insurance companies
Two years ago several income
measures were placed upon the stat
ute books, and this year these var
ious measures have been enlarged
and perfected and will result In very
material increases In the income OF
the state arough other sources
than taxation, and think the peo-
pie should know that all monies
received through these sources are
paid directly into the state treasury,
and the expenses for these opera
tions must be appropriated back out
Of the state treasury, and while
these appropriations secm to increase
the expenditures OF the state, still
the state has already received
amounts largely In excess OF these