The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-11-26
ECONOMY IS NOW
OKl AHOMA'S NEED
CITY Club Hears From
Judge Shea on I'M
portant Subject
TAXES BURDENS0ME
L,Iain Thought of Legislators
Is How to Impose Ad-
Iitional Levies
ES BURDENSOME

.Okahomas newly elected gov
.r1or and legislature will take office
an January ]. and right now, weeks
ahead Of time, they are meeting and
discussing new ways to impose addi-
ronal taxes upon the business men
and individuals OF this state. The
thought that new state administra-
. ton could adopt "a Its slogan. the
term economy" does not seem 10
have entered the minds OF the gov
trpor-elect. or any of the new state
senators or representatives. when
vu out city, state and national law
AaEers ever realizeethat what the
reople want is not more taxes but
more economy?"
John j. Shea, a former associate
Istice of the state of Iowa, and
chief counsel OF the Mid Continent
on & Gas Assn. made the above
statement to the City club at its
meeting at Hotel Tulsa. Judge Shea
smoke on Taxation" which he de-
r.ared was a problem that unless
F'IeUIllltdlly q diih ctIolbls I'tAs
threatened the destruction OF this
md other nations.
At the very beginning. Judge Shea
declared that any party organization
which asked 70 be placed in power,
upon the promise of lowering taxes.
vas simply talking through its hat.
He said that ii would take 25 years
10 appreciably reduce the war debt
caused by the World war. He said
thaa our soldiers laid down their
uvls, and our people are paying out
their money in the form Of taxes for
war that we had nothing TO do
with Its creation.
No Scientific Plan.
There is absolutely nothing ecien-
hfc about the way our tax laws are
prepared enacted and enforced" I"
said the speaker. Few OF our SOL
ons, state or national. know any
thing about how equitable and wise
laws, tax or otherwise, should be
prepared. They know that some
laws must be enacted and they de-
wise to get the money.
Judge Shea said that municipal
bonds, now exempted from taxation.
should be taxed so that the men VINO
loll around and live upon the in
EOult iHty utElNS rum uluHlClpdI
lakes. paying nothing towards the
upkeep OF the government, and
spending their idle time in playing
golf, shall be compelled 10 pay their
share as others do.
He criticized the administration
a. Washington for wiping out the 5
cent letter postage. declaring that 1t
deprived the federal treasury OF
s75,000.000 annually. The abroga-
tiou of the amusement, soda drink
and other wartime assessments. he
said, should have been retained until
lnroads were made upon the great
war debt. which have piled up to
make the fiscal Indebtedness OF the
government total 500, 100000 to-
day.
Judge shea recommended that the
state perfect a tax commission, with
representatives of all the professions
as its members, who could recon-
mend wise and equitable tax meas
ures for the legislature to enact.
, He declared that the decision of
the state that 1t need not impose ad-
dltlonal state taxes on the public be-
cause OF the great surplus p!ling up
by the per cent gross production
tax on oil and gas. was burden n
upon this great in ~ that should
be made to apply to U.ler industries.
Carroll Takes Issue.
Gray Carroll. acting chairman OF
the City club, took issue with Mr
Shea in one or two points. and pro-
Noked a spirited discussion with his
view that Oklahomans and Ameri-
sans, as well should cease to be
democrats, republicans or what not