The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-07-20
THE TAX LOAD--
WHO BEARS 1T?

Not many weeks ago we'll APP
pointed passenger train carried a
hundred or more admittedly repre-
sentative citizens of oklahoma city
10 various industrial and CONNER.
cial centers of less distinction.
Ostensibly the purpose of the trip
was TO encourage friendly relations
between the state and its metrop-
j.olis, and most of the members or
the party making the pilgrimage ex-
pended the time and money that the
event represented solely with the
idea of bettering their individual
business interests.
There were some among the num-
ber, however. who were not moved
by self-interest, They are semi
philanthropists who have accumu-
lated enough of the goods OF this
| world to enable them TO devote some
of their time to studying involved
questions of public veal They have
been giving the subject OF taxation
some careful thought during the
past few months, and have come TO
| the conclusion that Oklahoma is
being governed too much If not too
we'll and that the interests Of the
public demand that the states ex-
pendJure for the ma <enance Of its
state government is too great and
+, in the public interest must be re-
duced.
These individuals, moved by de-
sire TO tighten the tax load borne
by their brothers Of the state, have
gone forth reciting tale of woe
that has at times caused the skies
to weep. In the weeping the earth
| has been moistened again, and the
harvest OF this years effort in our
good commonwealth will be what II
was wont, to be in years before the
drouth. But such relief for existing
troubles is not enough. Taxes must
be reduced, The knife must be APP
piled; II not intelligently, at least.
| vigorously. The traternal spirit of
| the states captains OF finance has
asserted itself. and nothing shall
stand in the way of reform along
the lines that they have laid for
reform-not even a kind providence
| that has decreed year of plenty
where lean years have been of late.
To tighten the tax load? A noble
| purpose And this philanthropy,
| like forms of charity more success
| full if less hackneyed, ought to begin
at home Where taxes are heaviest
should the axe of reform first be
| welded And the individuals who
have decreed that the business of
| state, county and city must be
transacted with less hands upon the
| task. assume to be the real suf-
feres-in-chief by reason fexisting
| ills.
But let US see. Where, in fact,
| lies the tax in Oklahoma today?
| Why should the farmer when ap-
| preached and asked TO lend his sup
! port to the big-hearted and soft
handed preacher OF the doctrine of
| disturbance in government, city,
county and state, be slow TO avail
himself of the proffered succor? II
not the city capitalist the proper
person to suggest the needed rem
edy and apply the salve to the sore?
Is not he the chiefest Of the victims
Of the so-called spoils stem now in
vogue?
| Let us see.
Beaver county, Oklahoma, one OF
the three Oklahoma counties lying
between the Texas Panhandle and
| the state of Kansas, returned to the
| state board of equalization tota
| personal property assessment of ST.
| S37n39 This is per capita valu-
alton of $4,000, and Alfalfa coun-
| ty. Oklahoma, another of the north
west counties, returned a per capita
valuation of s2O5.00. All these
/ figures exclude banks aud private
| corporations.
Oklahoma county, home OF the
apostles OF fairness in tax distri-
| button. returns a valuation on per.
sonal property, excluding banks and
private corporations Of s6,634,s47.
or a per capita valuation OF only
s7S These last named figures are
now being reduced by the board OF
county commissioners of Oklahoma
county, now in session. Oklahoma
{ unity has returned only fifty per
cent, per capita, of the personal
| property valuation of Beaver coun-
| ty. Poor poverty stricken Oklaho-
| ma county, Oklahoma county has
| 800 per cent Of the personal prop
| erty valuation and $50 per cent Of
the population of Beaver county.
| What should the state board of,
equalization do in view Of these
| facts?
| IL would be interesting to know
| how the individuals who are telling
the farmers of Oklahoma that the
reason their taxes are high is ey
trsvagance in public administration
would explain these comparative
| figures as TO Beaver and Oklahoma
counties.
They prate about necessary taxes
TO maintain the government, and
| then stink into a state of non
existence when the county assessor
makes his appearance, letting their
less affluent brother at the forks
in the creeks. in Beaver county and
other rural districts OF the state.
bear double the load OF taxation
that they themselves are carryin
For the purpose of this compari
son we have eliminated from Okla
homa county's personal property
showing the figures representing
national banks and private corpora
tions, for the reason that Beaver
county has none.
We should eliminate also the
s6e 900 worth of diamonds that DIS
tingWsh these superrighteous pow