Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/771



THE CITY OF PORTLAND 567

caused by the initiative measures, will cost the people of the various counties approximately $25,000 and printing of the ballots cost approximately $7,000. This makes a total of $52,000 as estimated expense, and if anything, the estimate is conservative, as there are numerous miscellaneous items which will swell the total.

The actual cost for printing the initiative and referendum pamphlet was $8,951.96, according to a statement just filed by L. R. Stinson, state printing ex- pert. In addition to this is the cost of paper, postage, clerk hire, and numerous other expenses, bringing the estimated total conservatively to $20,000.

In addition to these items must be added the cost to candidates for office under the new system. From sworn reports filed with the secretary of state, the state officials estimate the total election expenses of all the candidates and committees at the recent state election, and the primaries precedent thereto, to have been $150,826. Of this amount the "Home Rule Association" to regulate the liquor traffic spent $40,000 — mostly saloon money. The Prohibitionists spent $15,000 trying to shut up the saloons. The Fels Fund Commission spent $15,- 000 to promote the Henry George principle of the single tax on land values. This of course is all the candidates and promoters will admit. But the candi- date that is defeated, or the man that spends a very large sum to get an office is not likely to recollect all that he spends for such a purpose. The first man elected to the United States senate under the popular vote system expended probably more than $100,000 to secure the office — but he made no statement.