The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1919-02-06
UNFAIR LEGISLATION

The retail merchants Of Oregon are en-
danger of suffering from the spite of some
legislator at Salem. This would-be lawgivci
has introduced measure, the purpose Of
which is to require that all stocks of merch
andise be assessed at full one hundred per
cent of its value. The law also would re
quire that the merchants thus to be taxed
must pay the cost Of having a state expert
appraise their goods.
That such law would practically ruin
half the merchants in the state must be ad.
mitted. BY its terms one Ontario firm would
have its state taxes raised from three or -four
hundred dollars to that many thousands
wiping out entirely all of its earnings for n
year. There would be no incentive for il
longer to remain in business
Now such law might be just and cqut
able if it went all the way and required q
farmer TO give in his ranch land at its market
value, his equipment at its original cost less
depreciation, required banks to furnish the
state information concerning moneys dcpos-
tied by citizens, and placed on the tax roll,
all the household furniture of every individ-
ual over and above the exempt $500 worth.
If such were the ease THEN perhaps the
valuations for the various taxing districts
would be so high that the reduction in the
levies would recompcnsc and cqualizc the
actual sum to be paid by all citizens SO that
no hardship would be worked on any one.
But since the bill in question does not
contemplate such procedure it is entirely
unfair TO those who would thus be marked
for penalty by the lawmaker who proposes
this measure.
At the present time the law contcm-
plates that money shall be taxed, and there
is no basic reason in justice why it should
not be. Yet a recent statement of the State
Tax Commission shows that for taxing pur.
poses Malhcur county had only some $23,O 600
within its borders on March !, 1913.
Somehow no one seems To think il wrOn
to lie to an assessor because, "eveIyonc docs
it,. Yet it is prcpostcrous to say that only
5000 should be taxed in this county whose
banks show deposits of over two millions
So long as the theory that taxation shall be
based on property prevails, it should mean
all property not part of the property as at
present. Why man who invests his wealth
in sheep, cattle, lands or stocks of mcrchan-
disc should pay the costs of government
while he who keeps his in banks to draw in
terest thereon does not, can not be defended
on any logical ground. The only argument
which is made against the taxation of money,
b'ii'iof iii'i ASbSNH' NANss property
is hard to find, and that since it can be hid,
or transferred TO other points, to tax it
would drive capital out of the country
No doubt this is practical reason, but
it is not justice. And since men who control
money are responsible for this injustice by
their actions, they bring government into
disrepute with the majority of the people.
They furnish the agitator with the argu.
ment that, ''the capitalist does not pay his
share of the taxes" and there is a lot of
truth in that statement, which accounts for
the fact that those who make it have many
auditors.
All that the average man wants is fair
play The men who are hiding property
from the assessor are willing to yell every
time a soap box orator makes a statement
about taX-dodgers, but they keep on lieine
TO the assessor
Let the legislature, if it is going to
equali2e taxation go all the way, write a bill
that will put all property, of all kinds ON the
same basis, and make its value dependent
upon its ability to earn, in other words |
equivalent in a measure To the returns it /.
gives its possessor, then there will be an
approach at equalization in taxation