Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-10-01
KILLING GOOSE OF
GOLDEN EGG FAME
Ardmorite Shows Why
Taxes on Crude Oil Are
Not Equitable.
DANGER IS AHEAD
Persistent Unfair Taxation
will Drive Great Capital
From the State.

After many months of effort to up
hold the unfair gross production tax
rate on oil, the Daily Ardmoreite, that
excellent oil paper from the Healdtoa
Held has seen the light" ana comcS
out with warning to tho voters OF
the state. Although a Democratic
paper, the Ardmorcite is fair enough
to recognize the injustice done to the
oil men. The article follows:
Is oklahoma killing the goose that
laid the golden egg? That is really
serious question with the people o.
the state at this time Oklahoma ranks
second AZ an oil producing state and
the chances are that 1t viii soon
claim first place in the production Of
oil. The last statistics gathered show
that this state is marketing more oil
man California. First place as an
oil producing state means more to
Oklahoma than could be told in one
article. 1t means a vast amount of
wealth, IL means the making Of many
millOuairos, it means the building Of
benevolent institutions, II means Il
Vgat deal of property for taxation, IL
means employment for thousands OF
men at good wages. 1t means the
building Of prosperous OIL towns from
ono end Of the state TO the othcI
wherever oil is found i'll paying guam
titles.
The oil man is very human. He
loves his town. he loves his state, ne
loves the institutions of his state, h
IS law abiding, he believes in good
clean government and in building up
the farms and the highways. lie is
loyal 10 his friends and money from
the pockets of the oil mar is edu-
eating many boys and girls in the
universities and is supporting many
orphans that would have a poor
chance but for the generosity Of the
man who has made money cut OF oil.
The oil man at this time is con-
tributing vast sum of money toward
the expense of the state The poli-
'ician makes the boast that the oil
mans taxes will do away With the
state levy, that it will put the state
on a cash basis and that the state
debt will soon be wiped out by thc
taxes Of the oil man.
The oil man Is forced to pay 2 per
cent of the gross production of hia
leases and the moment oil Is run into
storage. 1t is levied upon again fnr
ad valorem taxes Two taxes within
one year must be paid upon the same
oil when ii is run to storage and the
first tax is above the taxes that other
citizens Of the state have to pay.
The oil producer expects to pay
taxes like other individuals. He is
willing to pay the same on oil that
he pays on his home on his farm, on
his live stock and that public service
corporations have to pay. He is will
ing to pay this. brt he should not he
required TO pay more.
We are publishing today some fig
ures that have been gathered by one
Of the best statisticians in the state.
The compiler has spent years with th-
office of state auditor and he has
grown up with that business as you
have grown up with yours and knows
it. You will observe by looking over
these figures that the average tax
rate on all property Is sI.69. the aver
age on railroad property iG sl.5o.
Other averages are given in these fig
urcs submitted which can be studied
out for ones own self.
There is another feature that enters
into his statement Banks are as
sessed NJ 62 per cent of actual book
value. Farms are taxed at Ga per cent,
city lots al 67 per cent, horses, mules
and other live stock are assessed be
low actual cash value. But the oil
mans property is assessed for the 3
per cent taxation Mt its full value. The
lhI Ntlut vi WI 'sill W. 'diNuittb'h
easily In fact II does not have IT,
be calculated There Is a posted price
fixed which the oil man must accept
and on this full price he pays his S
per cent.
But the state seems not to be sat
isficd with this. There is a clamor
in certain quarters for higher teS-
alton and the result will be that pipe
lines vii, take all the oil from the
state. Eefiners viii be built else
where employment will I've given TO
<ahor in other states, sreat tank farms
~ he built in other states. The re-
.ufs will be n big loss to Oklahoma.
It will be loss to growing towns,
il will be a loss to labor II Will be
a loss to our railroads, 1t will be a
loss to our tav collections.
Oklahomans should be careful not
TO kill tho goose that has laid the
golden egg for oklahoma. The driv
ing Of this wealth from the state will
cripple us badly and cripple us at a
time when we need the taxes of the
oil man.
Look over these figures that come
from an unbiased source and th1n |
think Of your state and of your cities |
and Of your farmers ard schools BE-
fore YOU cast your vote for higher
taxation.
The Report.
As requested, l have investigated |
and analyzed the related true position
Of the 3 per cent gross production