The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-03-23
WANT LOWER TAXES:
"HOW?" Is PUZZLE

d A review of activities of the com
q mission that has been in eastern o
N gon the past week meeting with repre-
" sentative citizens in an effort to fine
y ways and means of relieving the tax
burden, is interesting. John W. Kelly
4 has been telling of Incidents of the
B meeting for the Oregonian. In an is
Z sue of the daily last week he says:
Here in Pendleton, where the tax
rate is 37.75 mills and where 75-cent
wheat will bankrupt the richest wheat
county in Oregon, the tax investiga-
tion commission today found taxpayers
prolific in suggestions as to what to do
with the tax problem. AS usual, on
this trip in eastern Oregon, the COM
mission found sharp complaint against
the cost of higher education and It's
ramiieations. All this agitation ac-
cumulated to the point where Walter
M. Pierce, member of the commission
and member of the board of regents of
Oregon Agricultural College. placed
himself on record.
Dear as the college is to my
heart" declared Mr.. Pierce, to the
crowd Of taxpayers and officials of
Umatilla and Morrow counties, as
sembed in the court house, 81 will
vote to cut every frill and fancy from
the school. Every unnecessary cost
must be eliminated. The situation
with the taxpayers is becoming desper-
ate. There is the cost of the schools
and of roads. The gasoline tax must
go to five cents in two years for main
tenance. We'd better walk than build
more roads at present. I'd rather have
my land clear and stick in the mud
with my mules than be owned by an
insurance company in the east"
Here is the way sentiment was ex-
pressed at the hearing: Appropria-
tions for county fairs can be passed up
for few years. appropriations for
new buildings at the state fair should
be disapproved; appropriations should
be withheld from the Northwest Tour
ist Association and the Pacific Inter
national Livestock Exposition.
Abolish the six per cent tax limita-
tiOn.
The legislature will have to repeal
many obligations which force a tax
levy
About $370, 600 can be saved by clos.
ing the extension work of the agricul-
tural college.
The agricultural college is too big for
the population of the state the college
is trying to build up school for the
Pacific northwest. Outside students
should pay tuition at least as high as
that charged in California or Washing f.
ton. If this causes decrease in out
side students. it will also reduce the
cost of operating the institution. !
Abolition of experiment stations-On
4 h.. AF
among farmers and taxpayers. Roy !
w. Ritner, president of the state SEN
ate, suggested closing the experiment
tents can maintain them. Cut out the {
Dug Investigations - this being pro- |
posed by Mr.. Pierce. N
Stop the bounty on coyotes-Reach \
he maurauders in other ways. I
State industrial accidents board
should be self-supporting, receiving no |
lid from the state.
Close the affairs of the water board +
n six months and dissolve the board.
Stop the issuance of non-taxable Sc
ol
Wipe out county agents, county dem -
and county nurses. While +
his has been repeatedly suggested, :
NOollSJ SOoA 10 l.
he retention of these people or else !.
ssert that too much pressure is I
rought on the courts to retain them.
An income tax is advocated and only A
ne voice was raised against this h;
lethod of dividing the tax burden. in
opinion is not unit as to whether Re
he tax should be fiat or graduated. h,
Down at The Dalles, where the COM se
lission met Thursday, incidents of h(
milar vein occurred. in
Let the Hood River horticulturists m
experiment. with their own pests in re
lead of having the state do this and or
It other growers tackle their own spe- IN
al problems. proposed j. l.. Kelly, or
x-member of the legislature. He st
ould wipe out all county agents and
D-called extension work, but would h;
stain the experiment farms. Al,
property qualification for voters is II
avored by Mr.. Kelly. or the require ta
ent that bond measures receive a
To-thirds of a majority of all voting
order to be carried. He insisted
nat if the valuation and levy of 1914 ea e
restored the county and other Off 70 70
ais will be forced toseliminate nom lt' r
Isentials. Only by such drastic fore 81 y.
g can officials bring about change, AZ
2 continued. ar
Doctor f. G. Brosius, Phones 1881 Th
nd 1882, Hood River, announces to his sir