St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1914-07-24
Lafferty Reviews
Continued from FIRST page.

will be an increase in the value
of every dollars worth of prop.
erty in Western Oregon. June
the Circuit Court of Appeals,
at San Francisco, made an order
certifying the case to the Su'
preme Court, thus saving al
least three years of delay.
started this litigation Septem.
ber 16, 1907, and ! appeared and
argued in the case at San Fran
cisco. ! shall appear in the case
without pay in the Supreme
Court at Washington this win
ter. ! shall keep after this case
whether defeated or elected but
if | am repudiated by the very
people am working for, il will
probably mean the death knell
of the case.
My bill to convey the forest
reserves in trust to the states
wherein they are located, would,
if adopted, reduce the taxes Of
Oregon one-half for all time to
come. Oregon has 16, 900, 900
acres in the forest reserves,
worth S400, 600, 600. The taxes
on that amount at 20 mills, the
average rate i'm Oregon, would
amount to $8,000,000 a year.
These lands are kept off the tax
rolls, so Oregon loses So, 000,-
600 in taxes annually thereby.
My plan is TO have the govern
ment convey the forest reserves
in trust to the states, not abso-
lutely, but upon condition that
the states shall not sell any of
the land, but shall hold il for
ever for forestry purposes, and
shall only market the ripe tim
ber from time TO time, thereby
keeping up the present average
stand forever. But the sale of
ripe timber would net Oregon at
least $1,000, 600 a year, and re-
duce her taxes one-half, there
by compensating the state for
taxes lost, and, besides. would
give Oregon people employment,
and give US home rule. The de-
partment is against my bill. If
Portland repudiates me, Con.
gress will say that Oregon is
also against the plan. ] invent
ed the plan. and am the only
man who has such a bill pending.
Besides what | have done TO
bring about the consideration of
laws for the benefit of Oregon. |
have voted in the interests of
the people on every question that
has come up, and even my en-
emies do not deny this. The
five big bills which have help
ed TO pass are the parcel post.
income tax, direct election of
Senators, currency law and the
Alaska railway bill.
secured the first vote ever
had in the House on the parcel
post. Offering il as an amend
ment TO the postofiice appropria-
tion bill of 1912. My amend
ment was defeated, and the bill
went 10 the Senate carrying no
parcel post provision. II was
there that Senator Bourne Sc
cured the adoption of the amend
ment, giving TO this country its
first parcel post.
Senator Chamberlain bill APP
propriating $35, 600. 600 for the
building of 1000 miles of railway
in Alaska is the most important
bill of the Wilson administra-
tion, outside of the currency bill.
| worked hard for the Alaska
railway bill, having introduced
the bill in the House as early as
1911, and aided Delegate Wick
ersham. of Alaska, the past win
ter in presenting the facts to the
committee on territories, and
on the floor of the House. Not
one word concerning my work
was mentioned in any Portland
paper. This bill is bound TO be
of great benefit TO Portland, |
and the entire Northwest, as |
well as to Alaska.
During the consideration of |
Chamberlain's bin, Senator Nor
ris offered an amendment for
the building of 20 government
ships connecting the railroad
with the states. The amend
nent received nine votes and
The promise of others when the
natter shall come up as a sepa-
'ate bill.
This brings me TO a brief con-
iideration of government and |
ownership of public
including steamships,
always, telegraphs, telephones.
electric lights and gas works
md street ear systems.
| am absolutely convinced that
he cost of living will never
ome down 10 the average citi-
en- till the government shall
axe over all natural monopolies,
nd furnish public utility SER
ice TO the country at cost. /
m also convinced that no man
r set of men has any right to
wn a public monopoly, upon
'hich the public must depend
Or its very existence, and <
trough which individuals can,
nd do invariably. charge the
uhlic aXorhitant nrofite ON,