The Portland daily press., 1890-09-20
A scheme of poub,fuI p,onr,et,

In the able petition to the legislature ask
ing Tor changes in the system of taxation
drawn up by L. B. bennett. Esq, we find
the following:
Fifth, The amount of personal propertv. which
low discovered by the assessors for the purpose
o.t saxat9n does not increase fast as the real
hropeIIy really owned. increases quite az fast az
me real estate, and from many Indications proba.
deyy nenaty ~ ,ne assessors were compelled un-
as 70 Inc amount and value OF his personal nro n
Ely, ana every taxpayer was compelled TO APPEAR
written statement as TO the property and yalue of
IL, winch he owns or holds In trust under a stint
Of AZ adsg anu unaer iHrther certain liability
probably disclose immense amounts the knoWi.
edge OF whose existence now lies concealed in the
guleless bosoms of the owners.
substantially the same recommendation
Is made by the tax commission created by
the last legislature. Doubtless its authors
were actuated by the best intentions, vet
nevertheless their proposition could oe more
appropriately styled measure to punish hon.
estmen and reward dishonest ones, and to pro-
mote and encourage lying, than measure
to equalize taxation. The inevitable effect
Of 1t, II 1t becomes law, will be to impose
heaVy taxation on men with consciepces
ana tighten the burdens of men without. 1t
Will also very rapidly reduce the number of
men with consciences OF course the expec.
tation OF the gentlemen who annrova ,ba
measure Is that 1t will discover mora nor
sonal property and make the taxation of
that kind Of property more ado
quate and equal. But If they ever get the
scheme into operation they will find that
they have made great mistake, and that ALI
they have done is to cheaper the oath. set
hundreds and thousands Of men to inventinR
miserable bubbles to quiet their consclenees
andIed hundreds of men naturally honest into
temptation to become dishonest by the spec
tacle of seeing themselves fined for honesty
and their less squeamish neighbors rewarded
for dishonesty. Their plan is not new one
1t has been thoroughly tested In the State Of
Ohio. Every person In that State is required
to return annually list OF his persona
property. Blanks are sent him containing
list Of every kind Of conceivable personal
property, and he must answer every question
under oath and on pain of heavy penalties
The law is also stringently reinforced. Now
what has been the RESULT Here it is, given
10 special message of the governor to the
egislature less than three years ago:
81, PERSONAL property Is valued all the way from
or,v ~ @ 10 nothingi In fact the great ma
b oIity 81 the personal propertyi not returned,
nut entrely and fraudulently withheld from taxa
uon: 20 iar as personal property is concerned,
the fault Is CHI ely with the people who list their
property for taxation. The idea seems largely to
prevail that there is injustice aud Inequality In
sa AZ Si, ana that there is o harm In cheating
ne ntate although to do so false return must be
aSs,e,, ana perjury committed. This offence
oSentsv s n state and good morals is too fac
nigh c6aTSstani t.ed by men OF w-alth and reputed
society. eser' and Of corresponding position in
ana violate the law 1t must be sus uisregara
VIII continue to decline ins,aad Jul ~
oase, WIN our growth and devaon,nnste ~, VI
money Of w 81 not tie amount Of
community. e'h 70 the whole
TO the governors testimony we wish -
add that Of Prof. Ely. of Johns Honk,n.
University, who has made special study Of
theeffect OF the law in. Ohio. Says Prof Ely;
conyersed. with many reliable tcitizens 70,