Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-10-15

doubt, vote No" is a good suggestion
for the reason that many of the
measures shauld have no place on
the ballot, and there is much danger
of confusion from catchy ballot til
| ties. 1t will do no harm TO vote
mo" on any measure that is not un-
derstood for the reason that two
short years will offer another oppor-
/ tunity, if meritorius measure is
defeated at the coming election. Es-
pecially is this advice apol cable TO
measures proposing new laws.
There is one class of measures, the
passage of which will affec' every
man, woman and child in the state,
and for that reason careful attention
should be given them and when in
doubt, the voters should vote NO. :"
These measures are those affecting
the tax system of the state. 1t is de-
clared that there is not a perfect tax
system in any state in the Union to-
day and .he best we can do Is to
make such improvements a5 will tend
to make cur system less complicated
and more equitable.
amendment known as Section la,
Article IX" of the state constitution,
at the election of 1910 put the power
of making the tax laws into the vot-
ers of each county, regardless of the
laws of the state or any other county,
and took the power to enact tax leg
isation from Tire legislature. AS a
consequence, any tax law passed in
Oregon, must be submitted to the
people.
In Oregon today we have two dis
tinct programs of tax legislation: l.
The program of RATIONAL TAX
REFORM endorsed and advocated by
the legislative tax committee consist
ing of the Governor, Secretary of
State, State Treasurer, the two Tax
Commissioners and IL members of
the state legislature who represent |
every section of the state and are in |
terested in its welfare. 2. The single /
tax program, or scheme proposed and .
urged by representatives of the Fels
Fund Commission, which consists of
a bunch of hired agitatOrs, living,
for the present, in Portland and Or
egon City; whose names scarcely ap-
pear on the tax rolls, and who are
interested in the salaries they draw
for advertising F'els soap
The plan of rational tax reform
of seven measures briefly eX-
planned as follows:
Following are proposed constitu-
tional amendments
304 X Yes. Provides classification
IF property for taxation and economy
n administration.
800 X Yes Requires statewide
in taxation as applied to
each class of property.
308 X Yes. Repeals single tax
Joker" passed in 1910.
$50 X Yes Permits taxation of
Incomes with reasonable exemption.
The following are measures or bills:
352 X Yes. EXempts from taxa
ion household furniture in homes,
md other unproductive personally.
354 X Yes. Exempts from taxa
ion mortgage notes, and evidences
IF public and private indebtedness.
356 X Yes. An intelligent revision
IF the present inheritance tax law.
The Fels Fund Commissions
scheme for single tax appears on the
ballot as follows:
365 X No. Single tax scheme call
I'd Graduated Tax Amendment"
The editor of The Observer is not
a tax expert but as we have read the
above measures in the voters pam
phlet, we have concluded to mark
our ballot as above Indicated and
have given brief but fair interpre-
tation of the different measures as
we understand them. Readers will
ECtJCe that every argument in the
voters pamphlet made by the Fels
brigade, in opposition to the rational
FAX Reform program, is simply an
argument for the single tax measure,
allied the Graduated Tax Amend I
nent," which consists of a bunch of
figures calculated to make
he small property owner believe that,
" voting for the single tax scheme,
le will relieve himself of any tax {
,urden and, at the same time, he
will soak" the man of large prop
rty holdings.
The Graduated Tax Amendment" l
passed, will in no-wise help the
mall owner of property, but will '
lead to the absorption Of {
lis property by the state. The OBJ
erver would rather be found follow s
ng the advice of men of the char
cter and intelligence of those con- [
tituting the legislative tax commit
ee, than to embrace the teachings [
# the hired propagandists of the t
'els Fund Commission who are {
wolves clothed in the coats of sheep. [