PAGE TWO
HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES. HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1927.
I
OPPOSES NEW TUX
State's Financial Situation
Said to be Better Than
Reports Show.
The Executive Committee of the
Greater Oregon association has auth-
orited the following statement for
release to the press, in opposition to
the Income Tax bill which will appear
on the special election ballot June
28th:
The excuse for the proposed income
tax bill is that there might be a def
icit in state finances a year hence.
Governor Patterson recommended this
tax because of the prospective deficit
the Legislature adopted it and te
ferred it to the vote of the people
for the same reason.
That there is a shortage of current
revenue to cover all the 1927-28 ap
propriations there is no question, but
that this amounts to a serious emer
gency is very questionable. There
is a great difference between deficits.
There may be a deficit in estimates;
Oregon has had deficits in bookkeep
ing estimates for years, but the State
has always kept on operating. There
may be a deficit in revenue, because
the legislature appropriated more
money than there is in sight, but it
does not have to be spent. There is
no deficit in funds, because the state
has millions on hand. These millions
represent collections from the people
of the state. This money is out of
the hands of individual citizens, and
is deposited in banks to the credit of
the state treasury. With all this
money on hand, there is no excuse for
a deficit in funds from which bank
ruptcy might result.
In 1925 Governor Pierce told the
legislature, and the people, that the
state was in a bad way financially,
the estimated deficit amounting to
more than $1,500,000; he urged that
the state enact an income tax, a to
bacco tax and a tithing bill to avoid
bankruptcy. But this was just an se
timate. None of the proposed revenue
measures passed, and when the 1927
Legislature met, the estimated deficit
was only 431,000! No deficit in
funds existed, and none exists now.
The financial situation is by no means
as serious as it has been represented
to be.
There is need for certain tax re
forms in Oregon, just as in other
states, and the signers of this argu
ment are deeply sensible to the neces
sity for bringing about these reforms,
but preceding these reforms we sol
emnly make the following declara
tions, which we believe to be true;
1. That partisan politics have fig
ured very largely in the formation
and promotion of the present income
tax bill.
We have always condemned the use
of tax matters and financial problems
for political purposes, and we con
demn the present income tax upon
that ground.
2. That if the present income tax
bill is based solely upon a financial
emergency, which it is claimed to be,
why should a permanent tax be im
posed upon Oregon citizens to cover a
temporary emergency?
We believe the adoption of such a
policy would be a serious blunder,
the effects of which would be far
reaching. 3. That urging the present income
tax upon the people because it is
alleged it will equalize taxes is in
opposition to the facts.
The manufacturing industry and
growers of big Oregon products like
wheat and fruit find the property tax
steadliy mounting and the income
tax simply piles up an additional
heavy burden upon them without fur
nishing any appreciable relief upon
the property tax.
4. That hundreds of thousands of
dollas are spent annually by public
organizations to bring payroll indus
tries to Oregon and to attract invest
ors to the great resources of Oregon,
and this development should not be
handicapped.
The presence of an income tax
drives away business, diverts and re
tards the investment of outside cap
ital, slows up production and gives
the state a reputation of instability
in solving her own financial problems.
5. That the proposed state income
tax has been recommended because it
is a "mild" tax, and it is alleged will
fall but lightly upon any single tax
payer. The signers of this argument have
every reason to believe upon credit
able information that if this tax
should pass amendments will quickly
be proposed through the initiative.
The rates may be doubled or trebled,
and probably the exemptions will be
raised. This move is contemplated
not in a spirit of earnestly seeking
to solve Oregon's tax problmes, but
in the selfish interests of those whose
ideas inspire them to make a raid
upon the industries whose payrolls
are supporting the state, under the
guise of distributing more evenly the
burden of taxes.
6. That economy in public expendi
tures must be brought about in Ore
gon. The small book-keeping deficit
now existing, and even the tax for
state purposes itself, shrinks into in
significance when compared with the
tremendous sum being paid for red
eral, state and local government in
Oregon. This amounts to nearly 100,
000,000, and instead of seeking new
taxes and piling up new burdens, the
people of Oregon must realize that
the spending limit has been reached,
and that retrenchment in every de
partment of public operation is nec
essary under present conditions.
7. That there is intense competition
among the states of the West, and
particularly those of the Pacific
Coast, to attract investors to sell and
develop their lands and turn their
latent resources into the commodity
markets of the world.
As long as our immediate neigh
bors, Washington and California, do
not have an income tax, it would be
folly for Oregon to impose this han
dicap upon her selling arguments,
and thereby fall further behind than
the low place she now occupies in the
race for Pacific Coast supremacy.
8. That when the states amended
the Federal Constitution to permit the
enactment of an income tax, while not
specifically stated, it was understood
that this field of taxation was ceded
to the Federal Government. We be
lieve it to be unwise and against good
business judgment for the states to
tap the same source of revenue, and
duplicate the inquisitorial machinery
of the Federal Government with the
additional cost .of administering the
state law.
The reduction of property tax is
always promised and much figuring
is done to show the taxpayer that his
taxes will be reduced, but it never
works out that way. The taxpayer
finds his property tax bill going high
er and higher. The only limit to his
taxes is when taxpayers themselves
feel the burden so heavily that they
vote down additional taxes.
But the income tax opens up
irce of "easy money." Property
taxes will be kept as high as taxpay
ers will endure, and the income tax
simply means more money to spend.
With this easy money in sight there
9 no limit to what taxes may be vot
ed. The manufacturing industries are
apprehensive over the prospect
that many of them are seriously con
sidering removal to other states, or
make their expansion in other states.
A new kind of tax always means easy
money. It means additional money to
spend.
State income tax has been submit
ted to the people of Oregon time af
ter time and defeated. In the interest
of Oregon development and Oregon
prosperity we therefore urge the peo- FOK SALE Am offering my resi
pie of Oregon to reject the proposed 1 df nee' property, also household goods
state income tax at the polls, and to at a sacrifice for quick sale, bee me
vote NO at the June 28 election.
GREATER OREGON ASSOCIATION,
By J. O. ELROD, Chairman.
H. J. FRANK, Treasurer.
R. L. MACLEAY,
IRA F. POWERS,
JOHN B. YEON,
JOHN H. BURGARD,
W. S. BABSON,
Executive Committee
L. B. SMITH, Secretary.
The American Legion Auxiliary
will hold a candy sale at the Chau
tauqua tent on Saturday afternoon.
Will all the members please take
their candy to Mrs. Ramsey's house
sometime Friday afternoon?
n I. f. V Wk M T7
vOronite
LY SPRAY
flies -mosquitoes.
loaches tfmoths.etc.
at residence, until June 20. Dan Rice.
NOTICE OF SALE OF ANIMALS.
Notice is hereby given that by vir
tue of the laws of the State of Ore
gon, the undersigned nave lanen u?
the hereinafter described animals
found running at large upon their
premises in Morrow County, State of
Oregon, and that they will on Satur
day, the 26th day of June, 1927, at
the hour of 10:00 o'clock in the fore
noon of said day at their place 10
miles south of Hardman, Oregon, of
fer for sale and sell the said animals
to the highest bidder for cash In
hand, unless the same shall have been
redeemed by the owner or owners
thereof. Said animals are described
as follows:
One brown horse, about 4 years old,
weight 1300; no visible marks or
brands.
One dark bay mare, weight 1200;
branded 77 with quarter circle under
on shoulder; age not known.
One bay mare, weight 1150; brand
ed quarter circle 11 on right hip.
FLETCHER & WILCOX,
Hardman, Oregon.
STANDARD OIL COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA
Today's Finest,
Smartest Styles
We ,
FLORSHEIM SHOE
Wilson's
PHONE
or leave orders at
Phelps Grocery Co.
Home Phone 1102
HEPPNER TRANS
FER COMPANY
IN THE KITCHEN
HEPPNER
housewives know the certified
faith they can depend on with
Alfalfa Lawn Dairy Milk and
Cream.
Alfalfa Lawn Dairy
WIGHTMAN BROS., Prop.
Phone S0FS
enrou ARK
J,
W5
V
AvTOCftST,
rihis
These Heppner merchants
have subscribed to this
space and repectfully so
licit your patronage :
HIATT & DIX
WILSON'S
MALCOLM D. CLARK
E. N. GONTY
E. H. BUHN
M. L. CASE
PEOPLES
HARDWARE CO.
HEPPNER
TAILORING SHOP
PATTERSON & SON
HUMPHREYS DRUG
COMPANY
GORDON'S
PHELPS GROCERY
COMPANY
DfldDw ttltae.Moraiey (CdDes
In the language of the HOUSE, they call them "crews." The HOUSE is that man
ufacturer or jobber who, nine times out of ten, is dealing in inferior merchandise shod
dy materials poorly made and sold under questionable tactics, misrepresentation
and shady dealings. The crew is usually made up of misfits, glib talkers long promisers
and the criminally inclined who hate honest labor. The idea is to take shoddy merchan
dise into "hick" communities and by "high pressure" tactics, take the money AWAY.
We have seen them leaving Heppner on more than one occasion, the crew boss and
his gang not one of which very many of us would invite into our homes-and trust them
there. Breezing out of town on to the next "hick" village-we must seem awfully dumb
and easy to them-as they divide the swag-a hundred, or two or three hundred dollars
of our good money.
Compare this crowd with the merchants of Heppner. Which would you call on, ex
pecting help, in time of trouble? You need not answer. We think we know. Likewise
the mail order house which sends its bulky catalogue into this territory. How much LO
CAL city, county, state tax does it pay? How much does it contrtbute to the upbuilding
of this town and territory? Answer yourself a few of these questions and we think you
will add your mite to those of our loyal citizens who practice loyalty by supporting home
industries, institutions and stores, and, who find that just as good merchandise at just as
low price, with just as wide a range of selection is to be had right here AT HOME.
VAWTER CRAWFORD, Editor, Heppner Gazette Times.
"MY TOWN FQRST"