East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1922-10-09
Walter NJ. Pierce
On Taxation
(From Made Albany, Oregon, October 4, 1929


kicking today. If l do not miss my
guess, they will show still more kick
ing in November.
Minnesota collects so upon all
public service corporations IN that
state. California pays her state tax
es in the same way. That should be
done in Oregon. You may say TINS
tax comes back upon the people
Just the same it is spread out on
more people. 1t is not on lew
scattered farmers.
Today we are confiscatlng prop
erty and running the people OF thls
State who are feeding us. Ihey
cannot operate 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
severance tax. When you take
product from that State, you must
pay for the privilege. | was at
place in Oregon where they showed
me mine from which a company
had taken out a million dollars IN
gold. 1t was owned by citizens
of England. They had not paid
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 few years Ore
CONS beautiful forests will be black
ened stumps. Here we allow the
Government to set aside great for
est reservations, from which no tax
es are received. From forests in the
reserves fasteners cut the timber
and ship the lumber to Oklahoma.
Thus from Oregon's great forests in
the reserve there come no taxes to
support the State.
We have $10,000,000 in bonded
Indebtedness for the soldier boys.
don't regret the money we gave
them. 1t was Senator Smith of Coos
and | who introduced the bill. Two
and a half million dollars have been
raised to encourage the boys to go
back to school. 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 a measure
to impose flat income tax. l am
opposed to that, but | am in favor
of graduated 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
proportion 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 to-
day. The burden upon the farm
and ranch has become unbearable.
There is no question IN this cam
paign but that of taxes. There is no
other thing to talk about. III Ion't
do anything else, | am going to do
this to the end of time. You can in
six years drive this state into bank
ruptcy. l have done and am doing
the very best | know how to carry
this message of lower taxes to the
people of Oregon. EXuavagance
must stop, Expenses must be re-
duced! 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. l will do every proper thing
within my poyer to reduce taxation
IN Oregon. On this basis | ask your
support and vote.