Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1889-10-31
Reform in Methods Of Taxation.

The question of method of taxation
long un>tudied because taxation was too
small burden to be obtIusve. and now
that taxes In more highly organized So
ciety begin to bear heavily. studied less
than It should be because OF its repellin2
difficulties, has recently received consider
alton from a special committee of the Bos-
ton Executive Committee Association.
The most prominent and influential busi-
ness men of the city are members Of this
Associate and The report of their com
mlttce upon this subject of taxation IS
worthy the attention of every tax payer
and every tax gatherer There are few
original recommendations embodied in
their report. as the ground has already
been covered by the able work Of Prrsi-
dent Ely. of Johns Hopkins University
But 1t is not the less important on this ac-
count, since il is the endorsement hy n
committee Of practical business men Of
the >ouudueSS Of views put forth by stu
dent who like all students, Is liable Ia be
regarded with suspicion a. n doCtriuairc.
In the first place the committee recon-
mcnd thf abolition OF the tax upon per
sonal property; for the reason that with
the present tendency for conCcalmcut the
assessment Is iucQuitablc a. to be plum
der rather than taxation. But they do re-
gard collateral inheritance and beque-t
tax reaching a il does only such persons
and objects a have no claims npon the cs-
tate$ Of deceased persons with limita-
tIon in favor Of small bcquc>tS, a. emf
nenty reasonable and just They believe
also that another and more important sub
>titutou for the ordinary tax upon prr-
,onal property would be A direct success
sion tax upon the personal property of
IN, k., altI,
would be properly appraised In the pro-
bate court, with limitation in favor Of
small estates. Turning from personal
property to corporations we hud the Bos-
ton business men endorsing policy upon
which President Ely has laid great stress
the municipal control Of natural monop
olie~ a he calls them. Such ar, street
railways, gas and electric light plants and
other works, which from the uAtGrv
OF things must be mOnop"lies. The Bos
ton business mrn- committee commend
to the consideration Of the government
Of their city the duty Of self help in the
way of utilizing those natural aud most
profitable resources. which, although the
hlrthright Of the city or town. are at The
present day, with an almost criminal folly
and neglect, given away 10 private corpora
tons IN spite OF the rrmonstrauCce of the
wiscSt political economists and the whole
some examples II other cities In our own
ana other lands TN. CITY Of Bangor In
ms State mi,h, u, ,It.d AZ an instance
here immortality owns and ,unnaors
lts water and huhtinu svsten with an
economy and sucr,.s ,ha, can nrnn,bIv M,
,nrpas,a,l NV non. and eoualI,i nv few of
The priyat. corporatjon. that supnIv most
Of the cities and villages of Maine. The
conc luIinp word. Of this interesting report
have sn..cial h,.,r,pg unon a nnr.tinn
that Ia, h.en spit,ted in Maine in The mast
ana i, without doubt destined 10 renewed
agitation in In, fn,nr.
Befnr. th,. lat legislature met there "a.
c,u.i,fera,I. talk sh,ut tho eh,lit,n, ~
.d,nhIn ,axa,inn ,hat j. th.t.x,t,,r.nf
raj astarc anI Ill, III M, ,nnr,y,gt yyhir,, .
NAV ~. ba,,.d unnn HI Tni. ln,hl. ,,xa-
,inn was ,hnIi.i.d IL Na..artn..,,u .,,,,.
,Imc and in re,,arI ~ M. r,.nlts ,f i,
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