Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-11-29
THE TAX LIMITATION LAW


conditions created by law invariably taken the ground
that no law should be condemned without being given
fair trial. There those wise that they can tell long
before law goes into effect how much ruin and disaster
it going to cause and they generally give the world
the full benefit of their advice which in perhaps nine
cases out of en proves to be wrong This was the case
with the Fusuuth seamens law which disgruntled the
Pacific Mail badly that it went out OF business before
the law went into effect only to begin it all over again
and at great loss There dozens OF other examples
that might be cited but the reader will recall plenty with
out any suggestion 1t is the with the tax limitation
law recently passed but which has not yet been given
trial All kinds of disaster predicted by some and
some in high places in the state government too we
believe about this law about all Others that 1t should
be given square DEAL and fair trial If it proves as
bad or half as bad would have us believe 1t Will
be repealed without any trouble but until its merits have
been properly tested it should not be condemned
The taxpayer will not find half the fault with it that
the taxeaer does One of the troubles with government
is that each branch of it begins to believe 1t is the
whole affair that its especial department should be fos
tered and developed and this regardless OF the needs Oh
the other branches Every commission every college,
every department thinks its own is the most important
Orr Labor Commissioner no doubt where great good
could be accomplished by increasing the scope OF his
authority The Public Instruction office could point out
instantly where much could be accomplished by ths
that or the other thing The Public Service Commission
and the Industrial Accident department. Will tell you
where improvements" should bemade Our colleges can
demonstrate the state is negecng its duty and depvng
the young of opportunity by anything IN the economical
line Even the FISH ana Gae uepaitlellI Can SHOW u'
there vast field for amateur photography IN Its WORK
that should be cultivated And goes clear through
the catalog to the last name in the index.
Taxes have doubled and trebed in the past few years
and apparently without sufficient reason. Marion county
pays now nearly million dollars year taxes, or some
thing more than SIS year for each person within Its
boundaries it looks though this should be enough to
run the county, it being about the fourth OF what costs
to run the state Maons total tax in 1914 assess
ments of 1913 was $99665706 of which 837S4SO was
the state tax In 1915 the tax the 1914 assessment was
$93 72255 of which $685. 4355 was state tax This left
for county purposes for the year. 2790O This years
figures are not readily available but if they the same
as those last quoted then next year the county could levy
tax of SS40776 In 1918 the amount would be SS9O522
1t would be above million in 1920 and this the tax payers
are willing to try to get along on.
The wage Garner and the businessman find 1t neces-
sary to make their expenditures fit their incomes, be-
be good plan to run the public's affairs the same
business principles that the careful man uses in conduct
ing his private business?