The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1922-03-10
COMMITTEE ON TAX.
REVISION COMING TO.
CONSULT TAXPAYERS.
Committee Desire An Expression
Of Ideas As 10 Best Means of|
\ f,laBs
Ligtenlng Present Tax Burden.

appointed by Governor Olcott in COM
pliance with an act Of the Legislature
Of 1921, will hold public meetings at
Baker, LaGrande, Pendleton, The
Dalles and Astoria, for the purpose
Of obtaining suggestions and informa-
tion which will aid the committee in
the preparation Of its report and rec
concentrations to the Governor, to be
submitted to the next legislature for
consideration.
It is the desire Of the commission
that, at these public hearings, there
be full expression Of ideas from To-
cal and individual viewpoints as to
ways and means Of tightening the
ever growing load Of taxation in the
state and its political subdivisions.
The membership Of the committee
is |. N. Day, chairman; Henry E.
Reed; Coe A. McKenna and C. S.
Chapman Of Portland; Walter M.
Pierce, LaGrande; E. H. Smith, Lake.
view and Charles A. Brand Of Rose
burg.
~ As expressed in the act Of the leg
islature the duty Of the committee is
ITO gather information, formulate
recommendations, prepare proposed
legislation and report to the COVER
nor upon the question Of whether or
not it is feasible to raise from other
sources substantial portion Of the
public revenues"
In discharging the duty imposed by
the legislature the committee has
made a study Of tax economics and
investigated the systems of other
states. It is now gathering statistics
on assessment and taxation in Oregon
and making a critical examination Of
them.
The preliminary study of the COM
mission has thus far disclosed that
under present conditions real proper
ty seems to be bearing the greater
part of the tax load. Intangible pro-
perty, represented by money, notes,
accounts, bonds and shares of stock,
carry but small per cent. The shift
ting of the burden from personal pro-
perty, and the gradual decline of in-
tangible property on assessment rolls
appears to be progressive movement.
1t has also occurred to the COM
mittee that there is undue underval-
uation in assessment, resulting in in.
equality.
10 reach the intangible wealth,
which is now avoiding taxation, the
committee has under consideration
the imposition Of a tax on personal
incomes as a new source of revenue
from which to derive a sufficient
sum to carry portion of the ex-
pense Of state administration, there
by relieving general property of
corresponding amount.
It is realized by the committee that
experience has shown that the ten
dency following the increase Of rev.
enue is towards legislative extrava-
gance. To forestall this, it is sugges-
ted that there be enforced constitu-
tional limitations on taxing bodies i'm
order that the slack produced by shift
ting the burden from general proper
ty to personal incomes remains per-
manent, and that additional sources
OF state income lead not to increased
expenditure.
Other phases Of the problem being
investigated include the raising of
the schedules of specific or privilege
taxes, such as fees and licenses, and
the reduction Of the cost of state,
county, city and district administra-
ton.
The committe has not yet reached
any fixed opinions and is very desir-
GUS before doing so Of obtaining, as
far as possible, concrete suggestions
from taxpayers which will aid in
reaching final decision.
The date on which the hearing will
be is at Pendleton March 18th.
II ROAD IMPROVEMENT