20 |
OREGON’S FUTURE UNLIMITED
9 '(Continued from page 9)
in tax effort. Oregon is shown to have
ia high fiscal capacity (per capita in
come payments') and certainly an effi
cient functional level of government is
desired. It 4$, -however, .the tax' struc
ture which reveals I the actual tax re
sources of a state. The Oregon Legisla
ture has frequently passed tax measures
similar to those i n California and
Washington whichghave been rejected
by the voters, to whom all tax measures
in this state must be submitted for ap
proval. "Legal impediment'such, as the
examples cited above, however, are not
insurmountable,” B a r f i c k declares^
"since .they may be changed, iFneces-
sary, by vote of the people although
traditions of long standing are difficult
to change regardless of the need.”
"If the people of a state .wish to
have, a superior educational system or
recruit and retain well trained and able
state officials by meeting competitive
salary rates, the type of function per
formed will be at a high level which
may also increase the expenditure' level
and thus require an increase jn ^taif
effort,” Mr. Barrick emphasizes. I It
is likewise necessary to increase tax ef
fort in order to provide higher old age
pensions and increase the functional
level of any other activity performed
by state and local government. Some
times, ofcourse, increased expenditures
are only the result of tappinga lucra
tive source of tax revenue.” H
Unemployment Compensation I Com
mission officials estimate that 1946
wages paid by Oregon firms covered
by that commission nearly double peak
pre-war payments: Figures for 1946
show that payments were only 15 per
cent under record wartime wages, were
only 5 per cent less than* .in 194 | and
are nearly double any previous peace
time record. There were in September
1946 about 295,000 persons subject; to
the unemployment law, not many be
low the wartime peak of 339,000 in.
June of 1943. These 1946 payroll fig
ures giygl timely support to Mr. Bar-
rick’s.. picture of Oregon’s developing
economy and reveal the amazing growth
of Oregon industries.
Lumber- and logging payrolls broke
all previoùs records with a $145,000,-
000 payroll, exceeding the 1944 w a r
time high of $133,00*0,OOOr Food pro
cessing exc'eeded', its $37,500,000 for
1945; with H $45,000,00 payroll. Con
struction payrolls reached $45,000,000,
which EH - $T3$hÔO,000 above 1945.
These "figures were exceeded o n ly b y
the 1942-43 wartime constructionibf
army 1 çamps I and shipyards. "Other*
manufacturing” grouped together lev
eled off about the same „as during the
wiartime' peak. There was still a $25,-
4)0*0,0.00. shipyard payroll during 1946.
Wholesale and retail trade shot far
beyond any previous records. With
$170j000,0.00, trade payrolls; were twice
their 1941 figure and excéeded 1945
by $34,00.^000. Finance, realty and
insurancegajso doubled the prewar high
and were $5,000,000 above 1945. Serv
ice establishments (laundries, hotels, re
sorts, repair, services, etc.) showed a
25 per cent gain over„ 1945 and tripled
their 1941 figure. Transportation and
utilities exceeded 1945 payroll payments
by $13,000,000.
Oregon is not only holding her own
economically;-she is growing in stature
among the states. Oregon Can continue
to develop in harmony with die scenic
beauty and the high social standards
of which she is proud, jf Oregonians
have the wisdom to plan for, rather
than to resist, the inevitable; -