The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-30
PUBLIC EXPENDITURES
The Tax Liberator.

tnlS De QOne' is the money NOW use"
for public expenses spent in the most
efficient way? Do the people of Ore
gon get 1 dollars worth of good for
every dollar they pay in taxes? is
there waste in public expenditure by
those whom we have elected to spend
our money? Are there useless COM
missions and officials? To read the
platforms and declarations of those
who are now running for office one
would think our taxes were now be-
anyone now running for Office Is a
tory mob of parasites who destroy
business, invade private rights and
prey upon the weak. To read these
same platforms every legislature OF
recent years has been bent upon fur
thering the opportunities of these ne
farious tax eaters and depressing the
people of the state, but vote for
vote for freedom from taxes, vote
vote fort reedom from taxes, a vote
for better conditions for. the wage
Garner, vote for happy life on the
farm, and a vote for good roads. 1t
leads us to hope that regardless OF
who may be elected the next legisla-
ture will be composed Of men who
will forever free us from the oppres-
sion of life.
How much of this is true? How
much of this is political buncomb?
That taxes are constantly increasing
is agreed. That taxes must con-
tinue to increase seems inevitable as
we are demanding better living con-
ditions each year. We want better
schools, better roads, streets and
walks, better living conditions, bet
ter care for the unfortunate in the
way of asylums and eleomosinary
institutions, county aid to the unfor-
tunate widow with dependent child
ren, direct election laws which will
reflect the wishes of the people to
a greater degree than was believed
tn l,A Ah 10 i,,ol bn old
All these cost money. There is no
wish on the part of the people to
lose the progress we have made.
There is no disposition by them to
shirk the payment of the bills which
these improvements occasion. But
the people Of the state wish to be
satisfied that they are getting what
they pay for. First they want to
know that there is some real tangible
good comes from every dollar they
pay in taxes. We don't want any
question about this. We don't want
any far-fetched theories. We want
to be shown. Secondly, we want to
know that these good things of life
are given to us at the least possible
cost. We want to feel that our SER
wants in Office are just as careful of
our money as are our wives when
they buy our meat. We want to feel
that there is no duplication of work.
We want to feel that the business of
the state is conducted along business
lines. We want less buncomb and
more common sense.
We want fewer generalities and
more concrete statements regarding
public expenditure. If our candi-
dates for office wish to abolish or
consolidate commissions and offices,
what commissions and offices do they
suggest we abolish or consolidate
How many of our prospective
members of the legislature are max
ing an honest, comprehensive and
intelligent study of the question of
public expenditure in order that
they may vote in a manner that will
inure to the benefit of the great mass
of people when these questions come
up for decision at the next session of
the legislature. 1t is the purpose Of
the Tax Liberator to afford means
of free decussion of this question.
Not only to the public servant in
office or he who is now a candidate
before the people for position of
public trust, but to everyone, these
columns are open. These questions
will be freely discussed by the editor
but his ideas are the ideas of but one
man. In question of such vital
import to every citizen in the state
there should be full and free discus
sion. The only request that is made
4 Is that communications avoid gener-
alities. We want facts, and we want
definite, concrete statements. Don't
be afraid Of hurting some ones feel
ings. Often times the truth is not
pleasant. This publication intends
to speak the truth. If some of our
officials have been enjoying an easy
time without making proper showing
in the way of direct tangible benefits
to the people who are paying them,
if some of our public officials are
false to their trust, II some of them
have graft in the way of high sal
ary with little work, then the truth
will hurt. II some commissions are
and Others are bad, 1t is only fair to
the people of the state that they be
informed as to which are the good