Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-04-16


attention. II is estimated by the State Audi
tor that the expenditures of the State up tc
about sS0O000, and that from that date unit
the LIST day OF noxt January they will amount
TO about Sl,5O0OOO, making q total oxpendl
turc OF S2,3000O0 to be provided for out ol
the general revenue FUND
10 meet this we had on the first day OF
about S2OlO)O, and II Is estimated by the
State Auditor that our total revenues from
the taxes to he collected in June and nll
other sources viii amount to only about
SlC0,0Ol, or In round numbers the casual
deficiency of the State will aggregate about
I0O,O0O on December ~, 1885.
The Constitution provides that the State
may borrow money for the purpose of meet
ing such deficiencies, but that sIich indcbt
cdness shall never exceed s7i0,O0O
1t has become necessary not only TO use
hut to exhaust this power and n bill has nc
cordnrly been introduced authorizing the
commissioners of the sinking fund to issue
and sell certificates of Indebtedness of the
state in that amount The necessity for
tbs stop is so apparent II is hoped the bill
help It W ii be necessary TO antIclpate the the
revenues of next year to the amount of
S25O,OOl Hence, notw thstand ng this loan,
economy.
But YOU are invited to look further to
something more important.
our state Is rapidly growing In both popl-
lation and wealth; the demands on our treas
ury are corrcspondlnRly increasing. For tho
next ten years this, will probably continue
more rapidly thnn heretofore, owing to TIL @
5nct that en- grafton to the Western States
is decreasing in proportion as TINT country
ILLS up and its lands enhance in value
But while this demand has been increasing
our sources of revenue hive been d dimin sh-
ing. In 1888 tho raluc for taxation of tho
srnnd Of Ss af IN s
died again to $500 ,esG This loss has been
made up largely by the steady growth of tho
valuation of real estate on account of now
structures. ETC.. but the loss was greater
than the Increase Inst wear, and the result is
shown n the fact that the grand aggregate
of all the property in the State, both real and
personal, amounted in 1885 to but Sl,GIO,OI9.-
s6s, aga INST Sl6I3,1il0sl for 1884, or n loss of
This indicates that our wants and our abil-
itS to meet them arc travelling in opposite
directions, and that unless the tax rate or
tho valuation of property IS increased the
casual deficiencies Will continue and grow
larger thout power TO provide for them
because of the extreme limitation allowed
by the Const tuition having been reached
under the bill above referred to- providing
for the issue and sale of the bonds of the
State TO the amount of S150000 to meet the
emergency now upon us.
The rate of taNnt on should not be in
that seem more Just have been tried, The
last election indicated desire of the peo.
pie to
TAX THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC..
1t is hoped this Legislature will not ad.
tourn until an efficient measure o that effect
has been enacted. Although such II tax can
ulat on ct il does not follow that eI the reve. eve
nue.. when collected, must necessarily be
devoted to anv particular purpose On the
contrary, 1t is entirely competent to do with
IL rs the Leg stature may see fit, and 1t is
Thought to be only equitable and just that at
least p per cent of the revenue so der we'd
should go to the general fund of the State.
And 1t is recommended that any law that
may be enacted on tn sub ect shall so pro.
SUCH erenf reazs as SGSd to
great relief of all present classes of tax
payers.
FOREIGN CORPORATIONS.
Foreign insurance, telegraph, and express
companies doing bus ness in this State are
now taxed upon their gross receipts. There
is no reason why foreign telephone. trans
portation, car trust. aud car equ pment. and
sleeping and parlor car companies should
not be similarly taxed. If the policy be right
in the one class of cases it should be equally
50 in the others, and equity and justice to
the State and to the other compane es that
are SO taxed require an amendment of the
laws TO that effect.
The most important matter to which it is
desired to call your attention yet remains tc
be stated.
OUR TAX LAWS.
Our tax laws are in the main, perhaps ms
wise as they can be made under the present
tonstt tut on. If 1t were not for its positive
iniunctions much might be said in favor oi
eXempting from taxation the bonds OF oul
State and municipal governments, to the ent
that we might not tax our credit and DIR V,
our securities away. but keep them mt HON,
and pay the interest upon them to our owl
people. But that is impractlcable and un
necessary to he d scussed
The requirement of the Constitution IL
that all bonds, stocks, investments, etc, n,
well us real property, shall be taxed mt theil
true value in money. Our laws have beer
framed with view to securing this result
but II is manifest to all acquainted with oui
resources that they have lamentably failed
for all such know that instead of granC
duplicate of Sl,67OOIa,s6s we ought to have
one of at least 5000 millions, and 900 millions
would more nearly represent the taxable
To ascertain how and why there has beer
this failure to value property us the law re
quircs the State Auditor. as result of n con
Terence on the subject, framed and sent out
TO the County Auditors of the State certain
printed questions to be answered, calling fol-
information as to the per cent. at which
property, both roal and personal, is appraised
in Their respective counties.
These questions with the answers thereto
so far as received. and nearly all have
answered. are submitted hcrew tn.
You will see by referring to them that
THERE is NO UNIFORMITY OF VALUATION
of property, one county W tn another, the
State over; but that in disregard, IL not
positive defiance of the law, each county
seems 10 have nm independent standard of its
own; and that the valuation of real estate
rarely exceeds 10 per cent and ranges down
ward from that point as low as - per cent.
of its true value, while personal property Is
valued all the way from its full value dowr
TO nothing. In TACT the great majority OF the
personal property of the State is not re
turned but entirely and fraudulently with
helu from taxation. 20 lar us
PERSONAL PROPERTY
is concerned. the fault is chiefly with the
people who list their property for taxation
The idea seems to largely prevail that
there is INJUSTICE and inequality in taxation
and that there is no harm in cheat ng the
state, although to do so false return must
be made and perjury must be committed.
This ohense against the State and good
morals is too frequently committed by mer
of wealth and reputed high character and OF
corresponding post on in society.
In connection with the recent refundinp
of our state debt, maturing next December
u was disclosed that some of the most prom
inent and highly respected men of our State
held large amounts of these bonds without
having ever paid Il dollar of tax on the same
or having n any manner reported them for
snsreeted fnr ts n thn ,b ab bonS mas UeeI
supposed to be non taxable, but 1t is fiicult
TO he patient with such ella IN when It is ad
vAnced by men of intelligence, familiar with
our Constltnt ON and IFS requirements, that
all bonds etc shall he taxed.
While such men disregard and violate the
law,'it must be expected that our tax dupli
cate Will contn to decline instead oil in
crease with our growth and development
The harm they do Is not measured by thu
State: their example Is bad and fraught will
evil 70 the whole community. There should
therefore. be severer penalties provided TO
false returns. and more rigid enforcement
of the laws for the list ng of bonds and othe
SECURITIES and credits.
This Is especially true of unincorporate,
banks. II does not seem possible that the,
are paying taxes on anythlng like an equita
BILE bas as compared with .he incorporates
banks of the State.
Take the banks of Columbus for illustra
tion. They are fair example. There are Il
ms city eight qnincorporated banks an
seven Incorporated banks reported to do 4
the aggregate nearly the same amount O
business. For the year 1885 these banks mad
returns for taxation as follows;
BANKS or COLUMBUS.
UntnoOrpOrdted.
p. Hayden a. &Co...................... Co f2T 8s
u. w. Huntington. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1856
Deshler Bank. k......................... 90.
South End Bank. Observation-Disclosures. LIZ
Brooks. Butler a. &Co..................... Go. l0l
Merchants and Manufacturers '........ l,0t
Reinhard & Co.. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Al
Sessions q Co, si.255 less than nothing.
.Total.................................,5e,5 Total. ,5e,5l
Incorporated.
Capital City Bank k....................S l2B
Columbus Savings Bank ................ 1873,
Fourth National Bank nk.................. 72,T.
O. Nl....l r.