The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1890-03-11

| q vi lCOPCOO
able citizens held State bonds to the
amount of hundreds of thousands of
dollars which had never been re-
turned for taxation, yet it was well
known that such bonds were taxable.
In the larger cities not even 20 per
cent of the personal property is
reached while in the smaller towns
and country very much larger pro-
portion is reached. 1t showed that
the burden of taxation is borne by
the poor.
In Georgia similar laws prevail.
Returns are to be made and sworn
to as required here and as in Ohio.
All property is to be returned at its
full cash value. Yet no greater sue
cess is had than in Ohio. Holders
of bonds make no returns of them.
Owners of other personal property
deliberately falsify returns. In Sa-
vannah, watches are taxed specif-
cally, but very few are owned there.
The same is true of Philadelphia
and the returns there are interest
ing. In 1885, with nearly a million
inhabitants the tax record shows
1880 gold watches, 545 silver
and 55 other watches, subject to a
tax of 81, Is cents and so cents res
pectively. Statistics from several
other States show the same result,
and they are all under laws fixing
uniform rate upon real and personal
property.
The experiences of New York
State is pronounced disgraceful.
Not over one-fourth of the personal
property is taxed and of that on the
assessors books probably one-half is
assessed at 40 per cent lower than
the other half Who pays the full
taxi 1t is paid by widows, children,
personal representatives, guardians,
and trustees of persons of unsound
mind. The records of the probate
courts in these cases make true ex-
hibit, and the assessor, bound by his
oath to perform his duty, lists the
property and frequently an income
already too small to provide the
necessaries of life is robbed of a
slice sufficient to cover 2 to 4 per
cent on the principal. The same
assessor then quietly takes the re-
turns of some wealthy neighbor and
enters the absurd figures without
wincing Sometimes even the asses
sor cannot accept statement and
such conversation as this occurs.
A taxpayer generally supposed to be
worth 100000 returns $4,000. The
assessor says: II cannot accept this
1 must put you on oath" The citi
zen replies: eff you do I'll vote
against you next election!" In New
York a tax commission headed by
David A. Wells made a report in
1871 which is regarded as the most
comprehensive and able treatment
of the subject in America. l regret
that | have not been able to get it,
but have found and consulted fire.
quent extracts. The report suggests
an entire revision of the present tax
system. After making exhaustive
illustrations from practices under
existing laws some of the instances
of gross injustice are very striking.
One 1 give. Just after the close of
the war of secession, a farmer in
central New York sold his farm for
$4,000 in the expectation that he
and his wife could then live on the
interest. The facts were well known
in the small community and so he
was assessed for the full amount
which was invested in bonds. Just
at that time very heavy taxes were
created to pay off State, county and
town debts incurred for substitutes
and volunteers, ETC., and the aggre-
gate covered little more than the
income of the $4,000 The poor old
man went to work as day laborer
on the farm he had sold, to raise
enough to pay the balance of the
tax and support himself, meantime
the purchaser of the farm paid taxes
on $1,000 as the taxable value of the
property. To her disgrace New
York State has not yet acted on the
suggestions of the report, though
frequently urged to do SO by her
governors. Other States have been
wiser. Mayor Hewett in an address
to the city in 1886 presented very
able argument for the abolition of
the general tax or personal prop
erty.
From 1871 to 1883 the assessment
rolls of New York showed shrink
age of personal property of over
$107,000,000. Yet nothing is better
known than the fact that the volume
of floating wealth in that State enor
mously increased during that time.
1t is also generally the case in local
tiles where trade, commerce and
manufactures center that personal |
property is largely in excess of real
ty in value In 1856 New York !
State was assessed for real estate of |
the value of 2,669,173,O0O and per
sonal property S345, AIS, 900, or about |
one-eighth.
Those who have controlled legisla-
ton have in all times endeavored to /
Il 4 II