Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-11
PROPOSED CHANGE IN THE SYSrEu
OF TANATInN

IL IL quite evident that the financial qups
uon-Axation-resump of specie payment
&e--wIll occupy a large share of the attention.
of Congress this winter. Somewhat pear a
dozen bills and resolutions bearing on these
matters were introduced in Congress on the
hTst day OF the session, and doubtless each day
hereafter Will he prolific of o,bers. Foremost
III inns way viii Be the question of equalizing
taxation, OF mskIng 1t bear more f.iriy upon
different interests than it does under the present
laws. The income tx system will undou6tsd-
iy receive a pretty thorough overhauling. 70
remedy admitted def, cts; and in this connec-
sion, we see suggestion put tor in the In
lernal Revenue Record "a weekly register OF
United Stats official revenue and custom de-
CisiOns, published in New York; that may not
he unworthy the ATTENTION of our lawmakers
Under the present system of taxation 1t Is
exceedingly difficult for the assessor 10 come
to q satisfactory result IN the assessment Of the
income tax. In the FIRST place there is no way
to prove the truthfulness of the returns Ina
large number II cases the deduction in the
way of taxes, repairs, &c, amount to more
than the 'Income" of a number Of moneyed
men.
Land owners on large scale especially
speculatOrs) very seldom pay a penny to the
United States Government, (ait,r deducting
taxes,) and these SPECTATORS, foreign and
others, do NO good to anybody; they only re-
tsrd the settlement of large tracts of lands
which emigrants or neighbors would gladly
buy, were they not kept up at too high rates
for speculation II the lands were settled
they would undoubtedly pay something to the
United STATES Government
Now, instead of tn king an "imaginary" thing
as income, II is asked. why not tax land as all
states, cities, and counties do, AID leave IN
comes and manufactures alonel This DONE
nobody could deprive the United States of the
proper tax. Parties having much land on hand
and for speculation could not keep il, they
would have TO sell; ar every state city,
village, and lie ighborhood would be benefited
The number Of acres OF land in the United
States amount 20 more than 5000 900 three
billions)- The number of feet of ground in all
the cities of the United States may be roughly
estimated al more than three hundred billions
feet, making the total of acres and feet
3U30OO.I0OCU. If both the above kinds OF
property were taxed at the rate OF '.One Cent"
each (per acre or foOtJ, the amount 10 be col.
lected would be S3,G3O,OOO,Oc0 Or. supposiny
the total number Of feet AID acres to be one
half 100 large, then the tax should be "two
cents" or take "two years. and we would
arrive at the same result.
1t IL argued that no one will complain if
compelled 10 pay one or two cents tax on
each acre OF country, or foot Of city ground
owned by HIM. If by doing so he is relieved of
all other taXeS, (U. 81 Yet that zone" or
1.-TWO" cents would pay the United States debt
IN one year, and leave over four hundred
millions IN the Treasury With this amount
OF money easily u be collected, all other
kinds OF Iaxs- except, special taxes OF Ii
oenses. could be dispensed with; aud there
would BE- necessity for taxing u. 5. Bonds. a
" ~ l,.a
party.
The above system of taxation would. il Is
maintained. increase the revenue largely and
reduce the expenses Of assessment aud coIIec
ton more than 81 Per cent, and no one could
then escape the payment Of some portion eff
the United States debt Further, by this mode
Of taxation nobody would be overburdened by
taxes, for every one would De taxed according
10 his own capacity; manufacturers would b.
effectually relieved, and the poor or middle
classes who have, in fact, so far paid the taxes
would be made easier and happier
The debt being IN this way secured and soon
paid, would shortly bring the Currency of
the United States 10 par, and a gradual
return 10 gold and silver payments, would
certainly be glsdly received BY the people al
large. The fsrmer aud the working man.
by paying the direct tax on his '.land' o. his
s'tTade." would make more profit by it than he
does in paying the indirect tax On everything
he has 10 buy.
We do not know how this mode Of taxation
Will strike Secretary NJ q ulloch, Commissioner
Rollins, or Commissioner Wells, but as il is
suggested by those familiar with the workings
OF the present income tax-the Assessors-there
is, very likely, something in II. II may be,
SITTER all, MAT the idea thar taxing incomes Is
the faITest and TeadIest means of raising reye-
hue l. a mistaken one