Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-10-14

and not local and again certain prop
erty is asSeSsable for local purposes and
not for State. or course il the valua-
ton OF property and assessments were
at the same proportionate rates accord
ing to all the average costs Of all the
governments in the State there could
be no reasonable objection but this is
not the case, for nearly all assessments S
for state purposes are at the rate of
three mills, for which corporations are
alone asSesSGble, while the rates for To-
cal governments for which real estate
is aSseSsable are often from l6 to %
mills. Take for instance the compara-
tive cost Of governments. For the
State we find the cost only about So
600 900; county government, Sl5,0O0,.
600, and township and borough govern
ment SIT 900 900 thus aggregating the
entire expenses OF the State govern
mentS, $3S, 900 900. AS nearly rs we
can ascertain from the imperfect sta
tictics ut command as to the value of
all the property in the State enrolled il
would exceed 81 SOC, 900 900, SO that IN
assessment of 5 mills horizontally laid
would fully cover all the expenses of
government, State, county and town
ship.
The present law does not in any way
relieve the farmer and real estate OWN
ers from the unjust burdens Of local
government. 1t still leaves him to pay
an average of 10 mills on the dollar of
his valuation or $50 200, 900 taxes of the
SIS 900, 900 collected for all purposes );
while the corporate property III the
State, agglegating 81 400 ,O0O,OO only
pays mills on the dollar or $3,0S4, ,l76
exclusively for State purposes. Had
the Patrons tax bill been enacted into
law-which we so earnestly cOntended
for-the corporations of theState would
have been compelled to pay for the en-
tire expenses Of the common schools of
the State and not Il farmer or lab0ring
man would now need to pay Il penny
for school purposes which cost over 50,
465 900 annually, and even the corpora
tions of the State would only have had
to pay ii mills, and the real estate own.
ers still would have II mills TO provide
for as their share. The Patrons bill
taxing for local government provided
that where there was dover" mort
cages, judgements, bonds, notes and
other evidences of debts, bearing inter
est and due from solvent debtors, it
should be deducted from the valuation
made by the assessments Of each assess
able property, the mOrtgager to pay the
tax, which was TO be legal payment
on mortgage, note or bOnd-thuS tax
ing property but once. Every principle
of justice and equity would indicate
that this would be fair and just.
BY what course of reasoning the rev.
enue commissioners of the State con-
structed the law to prohibit such de-
duction is beyond our comprehension.
1t should not be the intention of the
State to subject properties to doubt
taxation. Under the instruction of the
revenue commissioners a farm must be
assessed at its full value; and then IL
gain, say second assessment on mort
cages that may cucumber the property;
then again justice would Indicate the
right to deduct money borrowed from
money lent, So that each taxable would
pay but one assessment on what he
owns or possesses. The great miStOr-
tune of our State is that all the revenue
laws of our Commonwealth have been
made piecemeal to meet complaints and
emergencies, and do great injustice to
its citizens, and diahonOr the State. The
whole system of revenue laws should be
revised by an enlightened statesman
ship that would take into consideration
all the departments Of State and the
relations the different industries SUS-
tain TO each other, without doing in
justice or injury to any one ,and instead
of drying capital, industry, enterprise,
and many Of the best farmers from our
State, rs is now the case by hundreds
of farmers being driven from their an
cestral homes annually 10 the far West
to start anew in life.
Yours fraternally,
LEONARD RuONE.