The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1922-10-09
Walter vi. Pierce
On Taxation
From Address Made Albany, Oregon October a. 1922

came into thw state 10 years ago.
wandering hoy. working az n farm
hand For 80 years have been In pub.
lIc lie. I have never deliberately mis-.
led or deceived nnybody In public NJ"
I have tried to play absolutely square.
when I wng nominated last May.
said 10 my friends viii carry the
mcrHsr, NJ lower taxes Ia the people of
this state. ! have no money. but expect
20 make hundred speeches Five
tlmru I hny" touched tho ocean. aud
ronr from California to the river In
Idaho three times | have gonr wherever
the Invitation was extended; wherever
could meet q llt,l" group and talk 10
tNom about what I think iH a startling
T'nt" uf affairs nm trying 10 do I.
fairly. honestly aud In the open.
Friends, II "" save oregon from The
auction hlnrt. u W. save our property
frum rDuflHrutlun hy taxation. We hay"
gol to do some very hard thinking. To
my mind. the tax question II the fore
most problem IN oregon today. u rlsos
above all 'ls'.s The uuostion Is Are you
going 20 own your own homes aud your
own farms In future years. or are lhoy
going 4" be- taken from you hy thr rls-
INK tide ~ taSca'
Tho ro1rni value of all pr1poriy In
oregon lH too hirh according iU the value
~ the property caused by the hiRh taxes
n doesn't cut much lee In the money mar
krr When the property pnsFcs away from
IA" man who thought he owned u lie
g. ion with tho huaE: the kcrnI IL gone
when I went 10 the senate the first
lin" u took abou ibT of thu rental
value ~ property 10 pay taNo1. That year
Imatilla county raised 5000 coo bushels
ot wheat, our state 'aics wcr" 100000
m lha, county; aus OF the whca, crop
paid i'g taxes This year that county
prpduc 4 1000. .O00 bushels OF wheat.
whllc her taxes nrc sl,5i9.OOO. of which
sil3,oSt IN State tax. while the whole
IN iu's ~ the value of fhc wheat crop
taken for taxes. The POPULATION OF the
y ate then was nbou, $4,000. Now II is
not quito 100000,
wh.n cn'orci the sta'c Senate 90
years ago. ti.0oo,000 war the total State
",ponsc when I returned to the Sen.
ate ah years ago Il vas $?.b00,00O per
year To-day Sij.0oO.oo0 or more " col
lrc,cd from ~ In taxa. zion, Can this tide
continue io rise II W. keep our proper
~ How high ls II going to go'
There IL collected S6Ooo. .o0o In fccg
nov. six times az much as We spent 90
years ago: more than twice what We
gpynt riz years ago,
Ia kuo'A and In groups ! have been
carrying thlJ message to the people
THIS MUST STOr!" | shall continue to
carry II until election day
| asked MIR Day. as Secretary of he
Tax Investigation Committee, to collect
some figures for me. According to these
figures. there are only five or six States
Ia the Union iha' have moro bonded In
dotbcdncsH than We have, In wealth and
population We rank down about thirty
sixth. Tho figures show We are spending
more money for Salc government than
tho State of Kansas, KGgsas spends sS,-
5000; We spend $i5,000,Ooo, while
Minnesota sponds only si,GoO,ooO. You
ask. why IL Minnesota away down
there" II IL bCrausr Minnesota has
raised from Indirect sources the larger
part of her revenue for state purposes.
while We have raised II from she farmer,
the cattle man and the sheep man. They
thought these men could not Kick. but