East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1922-10-28

each other because there so many OF them
Their work overlaps and duplicates IneFe
are too many ornaments drawing salaries ana
fees for doing little work. Fewer boards,
fewer off cials and more work by these boards
and officials is the crying need of the state OF
Oregon. l pledge myself to the work of cor
recting this conspicuous waste of the state $
money.
FAyORS SINPIIFIED GOVERNMENT .s
Other states have systematiZed and smp-t
fled government by applying to public business
the rules of efficiency and economy used
in private business. 1t has not been done in
Oregon because politicians, payroll functonar-
les and hangers-on have combined to obstruct
the cutting away of salaries and sinecures. /
stand pledged to policy of simplifed govern
ment economically administered. -.
We can dispense with many automobiles now
operating at state expense The use of state-
owned automobiles by Officers and state en-.
ployes is subject to gross abuses, as every tax
payer knows, and this vicious practice must be
abolished T. 90
Every man on the state payroll should actu-
ally work, and every man drawing a salary
without earning it should be fired =la
1t is commonly reported and widely believed
that too small percentage of the money pro-
vded for highways goes into actual construc-
tion of roads. For example, Mr. jay Bower
man was long Oh the payroll as adviser for the.
highway comm! ssion. when it is the business
and duty of the attorney general to act as
counsel for that body. This is waste of high
way money There is general dissatisfaction
with the engineering and other overhead cost,
which runs into very large amounts. State
ments are broadly Gnade that narrower roads in
Oregon are costing more per mile than wider
roads in some other states. There have been
instances in which costly highways have had
to be rebuilt within a year or two. Road build
ing in Oregon has been vast and expensive
enterprise, in which there should be no leaks or
wastes. have faith in the gentlemen serving
as highway commissioners but bold that there
5houldbe a very thorough investigation of the
operations of the men and some of the con-
tractors working under them, to the end that
eXcrecenses may be Topped off, all leaks stop
ped and dollars worth of road be built for
every dollar of puolic money spent.
Mr.. jay Bowcrman is attorney for the state
banking department in several cases now pend
ing in the courts of Oregon. It is the business
and the duty of the attorney general to act IN
that capacity. AS governor ana member of
the state banking board ! Wo1ld insist that tho
attorney general and his deputies attend TO the
legal business of the state banking department.
When governor 1 shall be governor 70" every
body. l have promised nothing to anybody
and am free to the appointing power with
out dictation. My administration will not be
wholly a mans government but government
of by and for men and women.
FREE Use OF VETO
AS go"ernor l shall demand of the legisa-
ture that every appropriation bill shall he item
ized and I shall veto every appropriation bill
that is not SO itemzed In addition to that. /
shall veto every unnecessary. useless or ques-
tionable item in every appropriation bill passed
by the legislature.
l shall exercise my prerogative to call to the
attention of the Legislature and suggest TO it the
enactment of such laws will reduce the ex-
pense of government to the minimum and
equalize the burden of TAXATION chat all
property shall bear its just burden.
l can and will point the way for relief I s
know the majority of the next Legislature, COM
ing from the tax-burdened people, will feel as
fee-that THERE MUST BE RELIEF. It
is not question of party politics, bat vital
question of property rights, prosperity and the
welfare and happiness of the people.
Voters of oregon, the issue has crystallized
around this theme of taxation. high t1Xes are
bad advertising. High taxes are keeping new
,omers and new capital out of the state and
irving old settlers away. Business is being
discouraged. progress is being halted. Taxation
S the weight that is dragging down.
TAXATION DOMINANT ISSUE
Our friends who are now in control Of the
state and legislature confess that they are
helpless to supply remedy. They are trying
o confuse voters by injecting personalities and
" throwing mud. They aking frantic
appeals to party loyalty. thus proposing to
cave the people with the same oppressive bur
lens of taxation piled on ,he:- lacks. They
ire garblng my speeches, ana putting words III
ny mouth that never uttered. They are try
ng to divert me from my fight for lower taxes.
they are in sad plight because under ,heiT y
they have created situation
rom which every taxpayer is crying aloud for
elcase.
l refuse to bulge inch from this mater
taxation. II is the dominant issue. For
lore than 20 years l have talked and worked
or lower taxes and this will continue to be the
rSt theme in my thoughts.
Taxes and must be equalized and reduc-
d. and have here pointed out some of the
ays the thing can be done
WALTER NJ PIERCE