Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-08-07

then all properly should BE- triy valued, and
every species bear is due proportion.
By the old law all property was exempt from
taxation except such as was specifically descrb-
Sd. II was ascerlaincd to be so described that a
large amount entirely and unjustly escaped, ei-
ther on account ofIhe inoilicency Of the law or
the auiicc Of the owner. Ii was therefore de-
termined to tax all properly except such as
should be specified in the bill as exempt, or was
exempt or taxed according to the provisions Of
some other existing law.
These provisions being incorporated into the
new law, il now reaches and brings upon the
grand levy, properly to vast amount which pre-
viously entirely escaped taxation. Gold and
silver watches and piano fortes, to the value Of
thousands and tens of thousands Of dollars, are
now subject to taxation. The costly furniture
! of the wealthy in our cities, is taxed, whilst the
necessary furniture of the pooris exempt. Mer-
chants capital & stock in trade are fully reach
cd, g. the money-lender, whose immense wealth
consists in bonds and mortgages, is made to con-
tribute his share towards the support of govern
ment. Many such who, under the operation of
the old law had little or nothing to PRESENT. to the
assessor, under the stringent provisions of the
new law, list ten, twenty, and fifty thousand dol
lars. In this respect it possesses in an admira-
bic degree the power of a search warrant
The city gentleman with his span of fine Eng
lish carriage horses which cost him three or fou
hundred dollars, no longer lists them at eighty
dollars. The farmer, whose old favorte, worn
out in the SERVICE and is still preserved for the
good he has done, worth perhaps ten dollars
perhaps nothing, is no longer required to lis
him at forty dollars. He whose farm is stocked
with hogs to the value of ten thousand dollars
and there are enough sach, pays tax upon then
according to their true value.
And with regard to the landholder-was ther
not evident injustice done him who, byeconomiz
ing his hard earnings, scraping together t'co hun
dred dollars and laying it out in a farm of
"quarter section" in the woods, was required I
E pay an amount of tax equal to that paid by hir
d whose quarter section, near the city, constitute
a neat "country seat" and which would sell fc
twenty thousand dollarsl Did not such inequa
ity demand correction? Yet, strange as it ma
Y seem, there are those who fear this provision
lg the law will prove very oppressive-and man
y an honest hearted farmer who has neglected
r L =, L., -, ,lr
ID picity of his heart enquires-"Why, if my lal
is valued now at five hundred dollars, is put up
is its actual value, five thousand dollars, must | n
~ pay ten times as much tax as did under the o.
lawl" Such persons do not reflect that the la
itself makes no provision for increasing the
mount of taxes-and that the rate per centum
IN be levied is not .fccd by this nor any other la
~ But, "for State purposes" the auditor Of Sta
determines it annually, and for ordinary coun
purposes, bridges, public buildings, the suppC
of the poor, &C., the County Commissioners d
9r- pay the interest on the State debt greater su
lPt must necessarily be collected, but the Auditor
en- State determines what per centum must be
lu- We'd for that purpose-and the new law on
on subjects to that levy ALL property in the Sta
ow according to its true value. Is there not me
iy' wisdom in this, more equality and justice, than
ION increase the levy upon the property before list
for taxation.
I'VE But we have drawn out this article to a gre
IN er length than we intended. We say now as
the have often said, that the Tax Law of Ohio ne
the only to be understood to be approved. And
&C. interests of the State and the taxpayers demo
lcl- that it have fair and impartial trial at
hands of the people.