The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1921-04-07

ment Of the inequalities which ex-
isted for years.
omitting entirely the question Of
school taxes, the rise in taxes is to
be found elsewhere than the city,
school or county levies. It is in
the state levIes that the rise result
ed. This year the state levy is 10
mills, compared with as mills in
1920, and a large portion OF that
increase is accountable for In the
millage increase or higher educa-
ton; which the people themselves
voted at the election last May.
Il is right and proper that the
taxpayers should watch the tax
rolls closely and that the public Of
flcials should know that their acts
are under scrutiny, but n justice
to the local officials they should not
be held accountable for the acts OF
the legislature or the acts OF the
voters themselves.
IL is probably safe to say that II
all the taxable property I'm Malheur
county were ON the rolls; that is;
IL every property owner made an
absolutely true return Of property
owned by him, the levies would be
smaller. For example, there are
fa. I.lI ..N
yet every two months the printed
bank statements show millions on
deposit in the banks OF the county.
Then there Is the question Of notes
and other property that is never
taxed; while Il is notorious that
complete census of the stock own
ed in Malheur county never has APP
peared on the tax rolls.
In these derelictions the property
owners of Malheur county are no
worse than those OF any other coun-
ty, yet the fact that this condition
does exist, as everyone realizes, Is
one OF the reasons for high tax
levies. BY so failing to observe the
plain mandate OF the law and thus
keeping property from the rolls
that should be exhibited, these peo-
pie make OF themselves a privileged
class; and such a class has no place
In the American scheme OF govern
ment.
We have heard protests from tax
payers whose taxes are based on
less than a thirty per cent yalua-
tion. and we believe that an inyes-
tigation honestly made will reveal
the fact that at least 90 per cent OF
those who are voicing protests
would not sell the property they
own for three times what II Is
valued at for taxation purposes.
In all the foregoing the Argus
does not argue that high taxes are
or that useless expendi-
lures are justified, but we do assert
that many OF those who are object
Ing possess, relatively speaking,
more property than their actual tax
payments show when compared with
the average citizen,
We believe It is safe TO assert
hat there are not more than 500
persons or corporations In Malheur
county whose property is on the tax
-olls at a value OF $4,000 or more,
md Il Is from a comparative few OF
hese that the principal objection is
ieard.
The values OF their property is
rot inherent In the property itself,
tut In the fact that there are some
1000 other citizens living In the
II Is people. not property
hat makes value. and while the
arge as well as the small property
'wner has a perfect right 10 be
leard and 10 follow closely the ad-
Illustration OF county. state. city
nd school affairs; yet II does not
ollow that consideration for the
aKation to be borne by property
, TO be the sole guide TO public
olicy in the administration OF af-
airs.
Finally Il is TO be remembered
hat the tax rolls which the. pro-
sstants are objecting to now were !
lade up last year before the slump