The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-03-08

of this city have not been wasted, bui
he said that the city now has sufficient
educational equipment and that there
should be halt in that particular line
He said candidates for the board whc
favor economy should be elected.
Most of our ofHceholders are hon
est he said. 1T is the laws that are
responsible for our viciously high
taxes. But recently from fifteen to
twenty counties have reported some
of their officials short in their ac
counts, the officers claiming the money
was due them because of fees or other
technicalities. In any other state
these officials would be prosecuted
but in Oklahoma they are exempt
AT the present time, all assessors
are paid on percentage basis, per
cent of all valuations of property up
to $1,000000, 21a per cent on all up
to $3,000,O0O and Y of 1 per cent on
all above that figure. In Oklahoma
county last year, the total valuation
was in excess of $130,000,OO0, giving
the assessor a salary of more than
$4,000. Under the recent increases in
valuations, it probably will run in ex-
cess of $4,000. How would you like
to be the assessor? This is an in
stance of extravaganza in public ex-
penditures.
Lower taxes must be secured in the
state in order to induce outside in
vestors and the many big industries
and factories seeking new locations to
come here. One man who signed the
call for this meeting told me that about
a year ago he considered moving to
Kansas City to conduct his business,
because he said, Kansas City mer-
chants could secure capital with which
to conduct their business in New York
City at fro none to two per cent
cheaper than could Oklahoma City
merchants because of the laws in this
state.
Hearing Refused.
Some time ago ! went before the
legislature in behalf of the retail mer-
chants of this state, to secure the en-
actment of law making it misde-
meanor for person to sign check
on bank in which he had not suffi-
cient funds to cover the check was
refused a hearing by the house COM
mittee, though probably 80 per cent
of the members of that body signed
a pledge when standing for election
that they favored the move. Then by
interesting union labor in the move,
we induced its passage by the senate,
but the house never brought it out of
the committee. 1t probably is true
that the house politicians were OPP
posed to it because so many of them
were accustomed to passing that kind
of checks"
Mr. Heyman was followed by Mr..
Hogan who urged that men who are
known to be competent and who have
been successful in their own busi-
ness should be urged to stand for Of
fees. Also, he said that one burden
of taxation is that it is not apportion-
ed properly, that much property es-
capes. He gave mortgages as an ex-
ample of this. Mr.. Hogan asserted
that eight-ninths of all the money re-
ceived from taxes is expended within
the county, and that the reforms could
well be started close to home.
Mr.. Colcord stated that it has been
proposed that the organization should
seek to enjoin the collection of the
taxes, but that three cases now are
pending before the supreme court. One
of these is the case of j. w. McNea,
of Guthrie, former republican candi-
date for governor. 1t is the opinion
of the best attorneys, stated Mr. Col
cord, that these cases cover all the
points that could be brought up, and
that the plan now favored by the
league is to pay the first half of the
taxes under protest and await the out
come of the pending cases.
The laws of a number of states and
cities, notably Vancouver, where the
single tax system is in operation were
pointed to as satisfactory by Mr.. Col
cord In Ohio, he said, the law pro-
vides that the tax shall not exceed one
per cent on $100 and although when
proposed it was objected to by all the
cities, it has proven satisfactory
One of the prominent out of town
members present was S. P. Render, of
Lawton, one of the heaviest taxpayers
in that part of the state. He stated
that he will further he organization
of county association there, to work
in cooperation with the state body.
Work on Asylum to Begin.