Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-11-07
Progress of Single Tar
Movememt IN Oregon

the amendment carried. just what
manufacturing would include was
not defined.
Toll On Industry.
The existing system of taxation
was inveighed against as levying
an outrageous toll on industry"
With the adjustments made that the
proposed amendment provided for
taxes would fall on Gland monopo-
/ ly;" and the "blighting curse of
/ landlordism would be removed. The
amendment, it was alleged, would
benefit all workers by multiplying
demand for labor in factories, on
farms and in construction and dis
tribution by making them independ-
ent through free use of land, by
making of each home owned, and
by increase of wages which will
rise as rent-mOnopoly power falls. "
The proposed amendment was free
ly discussed by the press of the state
during the months intervening be-
tween the filing in January and the
vote in June. The ballot on the
measure stood 32,066 ayes, 6O,871
noes.
Second Appeal
In the two-year interval between
June, 1908, and June, 1910, no ac-
tivity of the propogandism was dis
cernible. But now a second appeal to
the voters on this issue was resolved
upon. The tactics, however, were
quite different from those employed
in the former venture. A more
stealthy plan of advance was arrang-
ed The measure of subterfuge re-
sorted to this time indicates either
less sanguine trust in the inherent
Justice of their cause as the basis
of hope of victory or weakened
confidence in the intelligence of the
average voter or both. AT any rate
the adroitly concocted combination
of provisions of the amendment in
stigated by the single tax contingent
in 1910 was far different from the
frank appeal to the virtues imputed
to the single tax that characterized
their argument in 1908.
Strategy Used.
The mask under which single tax
made what entrance it has effected
into Oregon was not unlike the fa-
bled wooden-horse strategy ascribed
to the Greeks in their taking OF
Troy. The text of the amendment
initiated was as follows:
"No poll or head tax shall be lev
led or collected in Oregon; no bill
regulating taxation or exemption
Throughout the state shall become a
law until approved by the people of
the State at a regular general cleo
ton; none of the restrictions OF the
constitution shall apply to the meas
ure approved by the people declar-
ing what shall be subject to taxation
or exemption and how it shall be
taxed or exempted whether proposed
by the legislative assembly or by in
itiative petition; but the people OF
the several counties are hereby en-
powered and authorized to- regulate
taxation and exemptions within their
several counties, subject to any law
which may be hereafter enacted. "
Poll Tax Eliminated.
A SO county road tax and an adj
ditional 81 state poll tax had been
customarily levied up to 1907. The
legislature of that year had omitted
both from the list of required lev
les, though it seems some OF the
counties were still levying the So
per capita road tax. 1t was an IN
iouitous tax and the average voter
thought it might be still alive, so
naturally there was little hesita-
ton in voting "aye" towards giving
it a quietus. To satisfy others who
might not be persuaded by the poii
tax prohibition a clause hobbling the
legislature was inserted so that At
would be disqualified to do more
than initiate tax legislation. The
county option feature of the amend
ment naturally appealed to some
on account of the very diverse inter
ests of different portions Of the
state rendering it exceedingly diff
cult to fit a suitable general tax
code upon all. These various ele-
ments of discomfort were appeased
by the different provisions Of the
amendment. The voter was taken
off his guard. The fact that he nal
thirty-two different propositions 70
pass Judgment upon was not condu-
Give towards registering the most ra-
tional action on all as he stood IN
the booth. As it was this amend