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About The Oregon scout. (Union, Union County, Or.) 188?-1918 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1890)
Editor THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1890 KMTOKIAIj NOT15S. Tin: particulnr Attention of our read ers is called (o tho letter of "An Old Timer" in this issue. It treats of mat tors of importance that should interest nil thoughtful men. EH-gjiut.i,jLJc.mwwnLu.iui Theke were 2G70 foreclosures of farm mortgages in Kansas within tho last six months. This is probably one of tho things Ulaino meant when ho spoko of the "triumphs of protcciion." The Greeks observe Monday as a day of rest; the Persians, Tuesday; the Assyrians Wednesday; the Egyptians, Thursday: the Turks, Friday; the Jews, Saturday; the Christians, Sun day. The Texas Live Stock Journal gent ly remarks that "as another evidence that tho cattleman is ngnin on the highroad to prosperity, and that his standing financially is once more as suming a degree of responsibility, it may bo montioncd that tho shrowd banker with his moncy-bngs is begin ning to again cultivate him, instead of avoiding him, as heretofore. Tiiinoh have como to a pretty pass, eays tho Courier Journal, when tho farmers of tho West and Northwest must mortgi'go their farms and thoir crops at 7 and 8 per cent, intorest in order to got enough money to tido them over a bad crop, whilo tho fatherly government at Washington voluntarily Biipplics tho luxurious wants of the Wall street, speculators by paying them a years interest in advance on its own bonds. imxw mm iiiinuwuijijitw We judgo from tho communication of Shelton it Carroll, last week, that Attornoys Crawford, Wilson and llack kott aro rosponsiblo for tho dismissal of thoso contest eases. As yet these gentleman havo not deigned to mako any explanation of tho matter. Unless thoy do so very soon tho peoplo will draw thoir own conclusions in tho matter and Tun Scout will feol called upon to talk a great deal plainer than it has heretofore done. We clip this valuablo pioco of news from tho I'rinovillo news: In answer to Bpecial inquiry, and for tho informa tion of thotio interested, wo will stato that a man tuny abandon a prc-omp tion land claim for good reasons and mako a second pro-emption filing upon another tract. This fact has been cs tablishcd beyond a doubt by recent decisions of tho commissioner of tho general land office. Of course, in such cases tho first entry must bo cancelled. The inossbaoks who compose tho council of UakorCity aro making some street improvements. Ono portion of tho ordinance which thoy passed re quiring tho work to ho done reads as follows : See. 4. Tlio cost of grading nail tilling of Raid Htroct shall bo assos.nid proportionate" ly, with reference to frontage, upon tin lots or parts of lots abutting thereupon. Ridiculous, isn't it? If thoso old fogies will como down to Union and havo Mayor Kennedy hold their heads whilo Councilman Wilson and Editor Davis scrapes tho moss oil' thoir backs with a shingle, thoy will go homo with a cloaror perception of how things ought to bo dono. Why don't tho Uakor City counoilmon buy tho prop erty adjoining tho proposed improve ment and then mako tho taxpayers at largo pay for tho work? Darn a moss back, anyway 1 Tm: Uakor City Ulado, in a recent issue, speaking of Louis Davis, whoso fcoblo intellect is supposed to guido tho destiny of tho Eastern Oregon Whnngdoodlo, Bays: It must ho ratlior tuuhaiiK'lng to tho new editor of tlio Union Republican to see articles that lie has stolen from other pa pers published in soiuo of his exchanges anil credited to his paper, wlillo his own writings are passed unnoticed, Well, lather; but what it would take to embarrass tho now editor of tho Re publican would embarrass a jaokass. Two to ono that ho doonn't know tho moaning of tlio word. Wo aro unablo to dwido whether tlio Ulado meant tho abovo aa a disparagement of tho Stato Univorsily, whoro Davis says ho got tho degree of A. I), or a slur at Da vis hiniiolf. If tho former, tlio criti cism is just, for such degrous must bo very oay to got and worthless whon obtninod. If tho latter, tho criticism is unkind, for Davis is certainly not to blanto for being tlio thing that naturo mntlo him. A leop.ird uannot ohango his spots; noilhur win a natural born toady ohango liw oharaotor. Amos K. Jones, OUP. METHODS OF TAXATION. Tho Union County Tax Lovy Crltlolcism of the Now Departure In tho Lovy of Road Tax-Some Interesting Figures. EniTOK Okeoo.v Scout: Will you bo kind enough to allow mo sufficient of your valuablo spnee to notice, briefly, tho assessment roll of Union county for tho year 1800 and tho tax lovy mndo thorcon by tho county court, for that is a subject of vital interest to all good citizens and taxpayers. Let mo say right hero that our system of raising revenue for state and county purposes etc., is a farce, a fraud nnd a snare to catch honest men and fools and allow rogues to escape taxation. It does seem passing strango that there is not sufficient intelligence or integrity in our legislatures to prompt them to enact just and equitable taxa tion and assessment laws. The assess ment roll fliows creditable increase in tho taxable property of the county, but there is ono fact in connection with tin's increase of taxable property that is proper to consider well in making assessment which is tho fact, that in this State, there is no Stato Hoard of equalization to adjust or equalize the assessment of the several counties, which loaves every county assessor free to make the assessment of his county in his own way and if property is as sessed proportionately higher than in others or than tho general average of tlio assessment of tho several counties, tlio taxpayors of that county aro com polled to pay an unjust proportion of the Stato tax. It is true that tho law requires all property to bo assessed at its actual cash value and it is equally truo that no assessor protends to comply there with, in lact the circumstances ofi'er i strong inducement to cacli assessor to got below all other of tho assessors n valuation, and I am creditably in formed that in some of tlio counties of this Stato, Multnomah most notably, real property is not assessed to exceed 20 percent, of its value. .It is very apparent to every intelli gent person that radical changes aro demanded in our revenue laws. Tlio great wonder is that tho peoplo of tho State havo so paticntly.borne this out rageous tax system this long. As tho legislature is to convene within a short time it is right that all honest men should agitato this tax question, and demand in a loud voice of that law making body a more just and equita blo law for assessment and taxation. Tlio 20 mill lovy made by tho coun ty court on tho !?!!, 11 ,755 assessment amounts to a tax of $88,775.7:1 if it wore possible to collect all of it, but tho very nature of tlio case makes (hat impossible. There is always a considerable portion of tho assessment of tho county on which no tax is col lected, though tlio Stato levy's hor as sessment on the full amount whether collected or not, which is another great injustice On this assessment as above staled tho Stato lovy, estimated at 5 mills as tho lovy is not yot known amounts to $17,072.27, which must ho paid whether collected or not, and 1 venture tlio assertion right hore, based upon tho past history of tax collect ing in this county, that tho taxes on at least $200,000 of this assessment will not bo colloutod, which will obli gate tlio county to pay to tho Stato, at tho usual 5 mill lovy, $1,000 on assess ment upon which there has boon no tax collected. Tho levy of 5 mills for school pur poses will raise a fund of $17,072.27. Of course tho school fund loses what ever proportion of this tax that is nut collected, but this together with tlio county's proportion of tlio irredueoablo school fund, makes quite a largo fund for school purposes, sulllcient to main tain schools in each t-ohool district in tho county a sullleieut length of time to givo every child of school ago a very good common school education, pro vided thoy would attend and mako use of thoir time and opportunity, but un fortunately, thoy do not. Tho taxpayers of tho Stato and coun ty aro burdened with a heavy tax to maintain schools to educate the fu ture citizenship of the republic, nnd yet a great proportion of tho children remain or aro kept from cchool and allowed to grow up in senii-ignoranco, notwithstanding tho law on the statute books requiring the attondanco at school at leant throo months in oaoh year of ovory ohild botweou tho agoa of 8 and 1-t years. Tho law tdiould force a longer attendance, hut indili'ar once on tho part of tho parents or gwmlians, logots imliltbroiico and often aversion to school on tho part of tho child, llo that could or would Miggost a practical remedy for this groat evil would doscrvo to bo Mossed. Tliis lovy of 2(5 mills on tho aisew- mont of $!M 11,155, will milu a fund, if it oould be oollootod, of i?S8,7fft.83, divided as follows: For school our- , poses, 5 mills or $17,072.27, payable in t coin; Stato tax estimated 5 mills, or, j 17,072.1.5 payable in coin ; Contingent ft,,, tax of o miH8 or $0,828.91 pay- iablo in coin and a road tax of 2 j mills or $0,828.01 payable in coin, and county tax for general purposos of 12 mills or$-0,97.'5.-10 payable in county warrants, so that if a perton is assessed on $1000 worth of property, they will pay $2G taxes, $5.00 school tax, $5.00 State tax, $2.00 contingent tax, $2.00 road tax all payable in coin and $12 county tax payable in county orders. Tin's road tax is a new departure of tho erfunly court, The legislature of 1880 passed an act empowering county courts in certain counties, to lovy this road tax of 2 mills, but I do not understand the law to bo compuleory, but simply gives them the power, to mako such lovy. Tho tax howevor may be paid in labor. You published in your issue of tho 0th inst., tlio section of statute under which the county court acted in this instance. Now whilo I am decidedly in favor of making the road tax pay able in money, and bolievo wo will securo but little improvement in our public roads, until wo reform tho old slipshod manner of working them, yot I am quite sure that the fund provided for in tho statute under consideration, is wholly inadequate for tho purposes intended, for tho county court elects to made the levy of 2 mills and a poll tax of $2.00 on all persons subject to a Stato poll tax, that shall bo tlio on'y tax levied and the only funds us-.d in opening or laying out of now roads, or improving, tho roads of tho county, or the building or repair ing of bridges. Tho roads and bridges of this county during the year 1880, as shown by the county records, cost tho county over $20,000. Now while this was an extra ordinarily heavy expenditure for roads and bridges for a single year, and may not be necessary for a number of years, if any ono year, again the fund of $0, 828.91 and $2.00 poll tax on 1G0G per sons returned by tho assessor as sub ject to a poll tax, which $.1212 or alto gether, property and poll tax, if it were possible, to collect all of it, would create a fund of $10,010.91? but as a matter of fact, thero is not tho least probability that a fund of more than $8000, will bo collected for road pur poses on this lovy, and I verily be lieve that $7000 will he nearer tho ac tual amount raised, for past experience convinces mo that tho sherifi' will col- but a small portion of the poll taxes, except of persons who pay a property tax, whereas tho supervisors of tho sovoral road districts, could, and did, collect a road poll tax of most all per sons in tho county subject, to that tax. There are always quite a numbor of persons in tho county, who aro tran sient, but who are subject to a road tax, and this character of tax will bo lost to the roads under this law, as the supervisors will havo no authority to collect it. We will suppose that tho county court is enabled to raise a fund on this lovy of $S000 which I certain ly do not expect, there aro forty-four road districts inmho county and tho compensation of tho road supervisors will averago about $50 each, or say $2000 in all, leaving a road fund of $0000 to bo divided among forty-four districts or $l!i(.3( to each, or other wise $181.81 to each district, all told, to pay supervisors and do the road work, and not ono dollar to oxpend in opening now roads or in building or repairing bridges. It seems to mo that tho prospect for improvement in our county roads and bridges for tho next year at least is not a very llattor ing ono. And now, Mr. Editor, does not tho number of poll taxes', returned by tho assessor strike you ns being a littlo peculiar? Sixteen hundred and six porsons reported subject to a poll tax in the county on tho heels of an olec- J tion in which over HG0O votes were 1 polled and quite a number of, persons in tho county too who nro subject to a poll tax who aro not untitled to vote. The law ays every male pen-on over tho ago of 21 years and under 50 yours, who are not a public charge or aro unablo to perform manual labor or actual members of a firo or military company, aro subject to a poll tax. 1G0G persons, subjeot to military duty out of u voting population of HG00, surely not a very good war footing. C!ue&j wo belter not pick a quarrel with somebody. An OiO) Timkk. WOOD WANTKD.-PHrttai desiring to py their hid obi ml new to this pair, In wood, onii now do su. 7-17-u. TiritNISUKU ItOOMS .V Mr M. J.Chamov.O FOlt KKKT. omorSf eond and II M. 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I'll J Holts, Moulding Knives, etc, Call on or address -T-Sl-inO a. f, I'HITE, Cove, Or. Tie : "Blue : Lffl" SALOON, Wm. Jamhs, Propriotor. Union, Oregon. Fine Wines, Liquors and Cigars in Stock. Drop in and bo .ociable. Pino l-iHlaid table MM JB Ml ON SALE RINCIPAL POINTS EAST, WEST, NORTH and SOUTH AT UNION, OREGON, A. K. KLUS, Ticket Agent. TIME TABLE. Trains depart from Union daily as follows: west hound. Fast Mail, No 1 5:00 P. M. Express, Xo 7 1:35 A.M. KAST HOUND. Fast Mail. No 2 7:tO P. M. Express, No 8 11 :45 A. M. Main Line, Nos. l and 2. "The Overland Flyer," carry through Pullman Sleepers, Colonist Sleepers, Free Chair Cars and Coaches, between Portland and Denver, Omaha, Kansas City, St. Louis, St. Paul or Chicago. Main Line, Nos. 3 and 1. "The Limited Fast Mail," carry Pullman Dining and Sleeping Cars between Portland and Chi cago. OCEAN DIVISION. Tho Union Pacifn will dispatch Steaniert between San Francisco and Port land, as follows. J!Q3j?ijX TO XjXj FUO.M I'ORTliAKD. FllOM SAN FI.A2SCI8CO. At 10 p. 111. At 10 a. 111. Oregon . ....July S Columbia ...July 3 Columbia " 8 State . ... " 7 State ' 12 Oregon 11 Oregon ' l(i Columbia.... " 15 Columbia " 20 State " 19 State, 24 Oregon " 23 Oregon " 28 Columbia... " 27 Stato ' 31 Tho company reserves the right to change steamers or sailing days. HATES OF PASSAGE: Cabin. - - $10.00 Steerage - - ?8,00 Hound Trip Tickets, Unlimited - 130.00 Children, under 12 years - - Half Faro i, ..5 years ... Freo Including Jea and Berths. C.S. MELLEN, I T. W. LEE. Gen'l Trallic Manager. Gen'l. Ticket Agt, A. E. ELLIS, Agent, Union. 0.&WT.R.R. "The Hunt Line." In Connection with tho NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILR'D Forms the Quickest and Best Route Between Eastern Oregon and Washington and Puget Sound points, as well as tho Popular and Direct Lino to all POINTS EASTand SOUTHEAST PULLMAN SLEEPING CARS, SUPEItB DINING CARS, nnd FREE SECOND CLASS SLEEPERS Through to Chicago via thin Line. Passenger Trains of this Company arexun ning regularly between DAYTON, WAITSBURG, WALLA WALLA, WASH., and PEN DLETON, OR., Making close connection at Hunt's June- linueapolis, AND ALL POINTS EAST. Passongor Train, making above connec tions loaves Pendlofon daily, at 7:40 p. m. Through Tickets Sold to all Toints East at the Lowest Hates. F. WAMSLEY, t and Passer Agt. Walla Walla, Wish. Gen'l HUNT. rusldent and Gon'I Manager. . L. D1,ACONf Tieket Agent, Union, Or. orinern raciuc trains for Taco- vnSvtl!?' Vicor,a. C., KHensburg, North akima. Pasco, Hprague, Cheney Davenport. Spokmo Falls, Uutte, Helena. St. Paul. Minneanol s. 41.