Presidential leadership to consolidate local governments and lift the tax burden on land

I propose to exert through the Presidency, as I have done through the Governorship, such influence as I can, in favor of a national movement to reorganize local government in the direction of eliminating some of the tax burden which now bears so heavily on farms of the Nation.

And I propose to use this position of high responsibility to discuss up and down the country, in all seasons and at all times, the duty of reducing taxes, of increasing the efficiency of Government, of cutting out the underbrush around our governmental structure, of getting the most public service for every dollar paid in taxation. That I pledge you, and nothing I have said in the campaign transcends in importance this covenant with the taxpayers of the United States.

I also reiterate now my promise to exert all available influence in the position as the President of the United States toward the reduction of all State and local taxes.

I want to reaffirm what I have said many times, that while the legal power of the President in this respect is limited, his power to lead public opinion in the way of improvement in local government can be a very definite and useful force for cheaper and better government in American cities. This is what I propose to do toward the credit represented by the 17 billions of municipal bonds.