Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-12-20
THE ASSESSMENT or PROPERTY.


which the General Assembly, at its ap.
preaching session, will have to deal, none is
more important than that of the assessment
of property. Upon this subject the Demo
cratic platform spoke as follows: "Bearing
in mind that in the thirteen years that have
elapsed since the last general assessment
of property in this State many and great
changes in values have taken place, and
that much ofthe property of individuals and
corporations which ought to contribute its
fair proportion to the proper administration
to the government ofthe State and Of the sew
eral counties and the city OF Baltimore now
wholly or in large part escapes assessment
and taxation, they declare that new as
sessment is now demanded in order that the
burdens of taxation may be equally dis
tributed in accordance with the plain arti
Gle of the bill OF rights" The "plain article
& OF the bill of rights" is in these words:
Every person in this State, or person hold
ing property therein, ought to contribute
his proportion of taxes for the support OF
the Government, according TO his actual
worth in real or personal property"
1t is a fact, which may not be generally
known, that the direct taxes levied Tor State
purposes-now seventeen and quarter
cents-are not, strictly speaking, levied for
the support of the government, but for the
maintenance oil the public schools and to
pay the interest on the public debt and
tn al nh finn In fba nal
of the debt at maturity. The expense of
the administration of the government,-t
salaries Of officers, the maintenance of pris-
ons, the contributions TO charitable insti-
tutions, &c.-is met from other sources,
which would be ample for that purpose il
the present assessment should continue 1t
follows, therefore, that the enlargement OF
the basis OF taxation must diminish the rate
of taxes, unless other channels of expendi-
ture are opened the moment the stream is
discovered to flow more abundantly. There
is always danger of this, it must be borne
in mind; and it will therefore be necessary, in
reforming our revenue laws, TO guard against
that extravaganza in spending which almost
invariably accompanies an increase of in
come.
But whether an increase of income will
follow re- assessment of the property OF the
State will depend altogether upon the de-
tails Of the law which makes provision for
the re- assessment. 1t appears fiom the
books of the Comptroller's office that the
increase in the assessment of property in
the State since 1878 is less than twenty-six
millions of dollars; and yet we oil know
that it must have been very much more
tho this, if there be any truth in the &c.
counts we read almost daily of new enter
prises and progress and improvement in
many sections Of the State. 1t seems to be
generally conceded that the valuation of
real estate will show shrinkage from the
present assessment. In Baltimore real prop
erty is assessed at more than its market value
in very many instances, and in some sec
lions of the State farm values have decreased
three-iourths. The truth seems TO be that
the increase in the general wealth of the
State is in intangible property-stocks,
bonds, &c.,-and unless this species of prop
erty can be reached and effectualy kept
upon the assessment books, 1t seems idle to
incur the expense of new assessment. In
this connection, the recommendation OF
annual assessments of personal property,
made by the Tax Commission TO the Legis-
lature Of 1888, is worthy of careful consid
Grafton, more especially as 1t is based largely
upon the experience of other States, where
it has been tried. 1t would be wise also to
list the nou. taxable property as well as the
taxable, in order to show what are the &C.
tual resources OF the Commonwealth, and
in order TO show to the tax payers how
much Of other peoples burdens they carry.
We deem this matter of the utmost import
ance, as it will enable future law makers to
investigate the subject of taxation intelli-
gently, which they cannot do now with i'm.
perfect, ifnot perverted, returns of property
1t would be wise, in our judgment, to
provide a permanent system of periodical
valuations of real estate, instead of leaving
long intervals OF time, during which, to use
the language of the platform, great changes
in value take place." and great injustice is
endured for years Stated periods of assess.
ment, at three or four years, say, would pro-
vide for those changes which are constantly
taking place The present law makes pro-
vision for this To some extent but by cum
bersone method, and the County Commits
sioners do not seem to have awaited them
selves OF 1t in a systematic way.
No system of taxation will be satisfactory
which does not compel all corporations to
pay their just proportion towards the sup
port Of the State. We live in an age of cor.
porations. If they did not pay better than
individual enterprises, capital would not be
invested in them. In Maryland the rail
roads especially are largely exempt from
taxation. Their property in private hands
would pay nearly four hundred thousand
dollars in taxes. They pay about fifty thou
sand IL is crying shame that this should
be so, and no duty is more plainly before
our legislators than that OF compelling these
corporations To pay taxes as the people do,
according to the actual worth OF their prop
erty and franchises. A franchise tax, based
upon their gross earnings is, perhaps the
most just las well as the easiest to collect The
Tax Commission make admirable recon-
mendations upon this subject.
So far we have spoken of State taxes
mainly. Of course, it does not matter
whether the reduction is made in the State
or the county taxes, provided we get the
benefit of it. That there might be some re-
duction in county expenses seems clear, but
the amount of it is probably less than is
generally supposed. The great gain would
he in the adoption of strict business methods
10 our county affairs. II is important that
the entire affairs of the county should ap.
pear in the Commissioners room as com
pletely and as systematically kent as the