Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-10-09
Nj. Pierce
On Taxation
Address Made at Albany Oregon October A. 1929

thew ARE kicking today. If I do not
miss my guess, they will show still
more kicking in November.
Minnesota collects $50 upon all pub
lie service corporations in that State.
California pays her State taxes in the
same way. That should be done in
Oregon. You may say this tax comes
back upon the people. Just the same, it
is spread out on more people. IL IS
not on a.few scattered farmers.
Today we are confiscating property
and running the people of this State
who are feeding us. They cannot OPP
crate their farms at profit, and they
cannot pay the heavy taxes levied
upon them.
Minnesota collects 25 cents from
every ton of ore dug up and taken from
the State. This is done by a severance
tax When you take a product from
that State, you must pay for the priv
ilege. | was at a place in Oregon
where they showed me a mine from
which a company had taken out mil
lion dollars in gold. 1t was owned by
citizens of England. They had not paid
a dollar in taxes to the State of Ore
gon for removing this great wealth.
A severance tax has been levied by
several States in this Union. 1t is
something for us to talk about and
consider. In a few years Oregon's
beautiful forests will be blackened
stumps. Here we allow the Govern
ment to set aside great forest reserva-
tions, from which no taxes are receiv-
ed. From forests in the reserves East
erners cut the timber and ship the lum
Der to Oklahoma. Thus from Oregons
great forests in the reserve there come
no taxes to support the State.
We have $1O,OOO,OOO in bonded in
debtedness for the soldier boys. don't
regret the money we gave them. 1t was
Senator Smith of Coos and I who intro
duced the bill. Two and hilf million
dollars have been raised to encourage
the boys to go back to school, l am
glad we have given this money to them.
We can never do too much for the men
who went down on the fields of France
to do and to die
We have on the ballot measure to
impose flat income tax. l am opposed
to that, but | am in favor of gradual
ed income tax, because | believe the
man who has the large income should
pay more than the man who has the
small income
A gross earnings tax would be an
other source of revenue.
The cattle grower certainly needs
relief. Cattle are selling cheaper than
they have sold in 80 years in proper
tion to cost of production. A million
head of cattle in this State are going
to the butchers block. They simply
cannot be produced for the money that
is paid for them today. The burden
upon the farm and ranch has become
| unbearable.
There is no question in this campaign
NAU OAeI VI ldA6S. 1noro is no other
thing to talk about If l don't do any
thing else, 1 am going to do this to the
end OF time. You can in six years drive
this State into bankruptcy. l have done
and am doing the very best l know
how to carry this message of lower
taxes to the people of Oregon. Extrava-
gance must stop! Expenses must be
reduced! Taxes must come down!
1t all depends upon you who read
these words. You can say by your
ballot IN November whether YOU want
TO go on paying this terrific cost. or
whether you don't.
My pledge is this: If elected Gov
ernor, 1 will do every proper thing
within my power to reduce taxation in
oregon. On this basis ask your sup
! port and vote.