Weekly Trinity journal., 1871-12-16

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offices should be created for the purpose of afford
ing places the cost of public buildings should
! be limited to fair estimates; appropriations for
necessary expenses Of State institutions (as pris-
on, asylum, etc., should be sufficient, so that
demands against the State should not be dis
counted while money is lying idle in the General
Fund, and every care should be taken to prevent
the credit OF the State from being pledged, di-
rectly or by Implication beyond the exact author
ization of law.
The fiscal affairs of the State should be man
aged as a prudent business man manages his
own, paying well for services rendered. and no
more Every dollar of taxation represents the
labor OF some one-labor contributed to the State
Tor the common good, to the " commonwealth. ."
but which is felt as an unjust exaction, a wrong
tul use of abitrary power, when devoted to indi-
vidual or partial benefit.
DEFECTS IN OUR SYSTEM OF TAXATION.
very large proportion of the revenues of the
State is raised 10y direct taxation upon property.
The Constitution requires that taxation shall
be uniform throughout the State.
No scheme of taxation has ever been devised
which was absolutely just Perhaps none can
be. The theory of our Constitution on the sub
ect is perfectly fair; its failure in everything ex-
cept raising the necessary revenues is confessed.
the burdens OF taxation are practically diStrb-
uted as follows The non-taXpayer feels them
in the increased expense of living and if he de-
pend upon his daily labor, as over-taXation dis
courages industrial enterprises in diminished
wages and diminished opportunities of employ
ment. Among taxpayers the proportion paid by
each is in inverse ratio to his ablity-the wealth
lest paying the least percentage on the value of
their property. There are exceptions, but prob
ably not more than to every other general prin-
clple. a perfectly Just system, if attainable
would reverse the rule
If every member of the community knew that
he was called upon to pay only his just proper
uOn OF the necessary expenses Of government,
no obligations would be more cheerfully met.
As the distribution is felt to be unfair, each is
aptto fancy himself the greatest sufferer, and to
look upon the assessor and collector as his nat
ural enemies. Too low valuation in one county
is made the excuse for one still lower in another,
and no individual willingly returns his property
at its full market worth, knowing that the rate
has been fixed on the assumption that not more
shan fifty per centum of all values will be reached.
Under our Constitution, while Z" State Board
of Equalization" may be very useful in bringing
gross abuses to light, it is doubtful if its powers
can be more than moral or extend beyond recon-
mendatoEs and Instructions
ApportiOning the assessment of q railroad to
various counties throughout which it passes leads
to the absurdity Of attempting to estimate the
value of a road cut Oft from connections at both
ends, and to inquire into the probable worth of
the iron and ties " as they lie," for purposes
other than the only one for which they are fit
The law which allows the property holder to
cancel tax by showing some technical irregu-
latity, is premium on litigation without risk,
and enables large taxpayers, individual and cor
porate, to dictate their own terms of compromise.
PLAN OF TAXATION SUGGESTED.
Since it is practically impossible to impose tax
t1rr,, ,.,11,
ue, the question ought to be seriously consider
ed whether they may not be so imposed as to
" equitably distribute themselves" A tax upon
land, if uniform becomes a fixed quantity in
the calculation OF its value is a known incum-
brance and modifes its price. TO that extent
land values will adapt themselves to Il uniform
rate of taxation. If land value, Gncuding, of
course, village, city and county, alone were tax
ed the revenue of the State would be in the ma
ture of reserved rent, stipulated for at every
transfer, and modifying the consideration at ey-
cry sale. If that policy had been originally
adopted, speculation in vacant lands would have
been in some degree prevented, the lands would
be more generally cultivated by owners, and
bear the whole burden Of taxation with more
ease than they now do their proportion, leaving
all Improvements and personal property free
The vested rights Of land owners will probably
forever prevent recurrence to this policy.
brief outline of plan for some Of the suggest
ions for which am indebted to the very able re-
port Of the % Commission of Local Taxation,
recently apponted by Governor Hoffman, Of New
York.
Lands, other than town, city and suburban
lots, to be classified, the assessor to deter
mine the class to which each tract belongs, when
the law will fix its value for purposes Of taxa
tion. The classification could be so adjusted as
4; -, I,1,I xFI In 10,
for purposes Of speculation, and made effective
to that end by recognizing posscssory rights and
inchoate titles as taxable. The State to deter
mine the value Of the franchises Of such corpor-
ations as railroad, banking, gas companies, etc,
by aggregating the market value Of their stock
and bonds, collect fixed rate per centum on the
whole, and give the cities and counties fair
equivalent for their right of local taxation
Moneys, to be directly reached by a stamp tax
on notes, bonds, mortgages, etc.
This wOnld leave town, city and suburban
lots, and personal property other than moneys
and debts to be assessed by appralsement.
have dwelt upon the subject at some length, as
any radical, and believe any beneficial change
in our revenue system requires change in the
Constitution, and this is the only opportunity
shall have Of officially addressing the people di-
rectly.
know the suggestions offered are imperfect
| trust, then, general discussion will result in
the maturing of some plan which will apportion
taxes more equitably, collect them more cheaply,
and in a greater degree check one of the grow
ing aud threatening evils Of our times-land mo-
nopoly. The theories of the most advanced
writer's on political economy and the practice OF
the civilized world outside of the United States
condemn our present system as cumbersome in
machinery, unjust in distribution, and demoral-
izng in influence
SUBSIDIES.
4 In order to give effective expression
to the pronounced will of the people, the act
known as the % five per cent. law should be re-
pealed, and the necessary steps taken to amend
the Constitution so as to prevent similar legisla-
ton hereafter
FARES AND FREIGHTs.
The right Of the State to regulate the rate Of
freights and fares on the railroads is founded on
the fact that every railroad law inyokes the ex
ercise of ore of the States highest prerogatyes