The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-04-17
10 the People of pennsvzyan;o.

10 the People Of Pcnnsyycania:
Within the past few days there has
begun a most vicious, unfair. unwar-
ranted cIamor against the so-called
Grangers tax bill, or revenue measure.
now pending in the Senate at Harris
burg. The bill has passed the House
by decisive majority, and as the Leg
islature is not in session this week the
recess Is an opportune time of study
and reflection upon the measure. If it is
a bad bill it should be defeated; if a
good measure it ought to be enacted.
Having the sanction of a large major
lty of the Assembly, the presumption
arises that the measure is in the main
a good one, and the burden of.proof is
upon those who assert the contrary.
Thus far attacks upon the bill have
been too vague and general in their
character to command serious atten-
ton. tits true that the State has been
flooded with posters andhandbills, set
ting forth in part some features of the
measure and condemning in unmeas-
ured terms those portions thus referred
to. But after a careful and unpreju-
diced review of the entire act as it
passed the House every fair.minded
citizen is bound to say that the bill as
whole is fair, that the object it seeks
to attain is a worthy one, that the injus-
tice it will correct is admittedly grave.
and that its provisions are not SO mimi
cal to the peoples interests as its enc
mics would teach the public to believe.
1t should be understood, at the start,
that this is a measure "to provide re-
venue for local purposes, by the taxa
tion Of real estate, personal and cor
porate property 1t does not inter
fere with the levy and collection of
taxes for State purposes, but aims to
relieve the burden of local taxation,
which is confessedly too heavy upon
real estate.
The people are clamoring for the
equalization of taxation. Nobody
claims that our present tax laws are
just or equal. Real estate now bears
an unjustly large portion of the cost
Of maintaining schools, courts, jalls,
hospitals, city and township govern
ments, etc. The only way to equalze
this burden is to extend the taxing
power to other forms of property. And
if, therefore personal property is made
to bear a small share of local expenses
as no one doubts it should, the law
must be so framed as to make fair
and full return of taxable property.
Taxpayers are generally honest, but
tax law which fails to secure a full
return from dishonest tax payers is
unjust to the honest portion. A law
which compels an honest return Of tax
able property must be somewhat in
quisitorial, as are all tax laws more or
less. The proposed law is no more In
quisitorial than the present laws. The
clamor against it is raised by those
whose taxation it increases. That is
selfish. although natural. Man is self
ish animal at best, and would much
rather have his neighbors pay the ex-
penses of government than to assist
with his own money.
Take the railroads, for instance. The
proposed law imposes tax OF four
mills, to be paid directly to the several
counties, upon the average value OF
each railroad, telephone, telegraph and
other transportation or transmission
company, apportioned per mile upon
the line. buildings, lands, rolling stock,
etc, in each county, which under ex-
istlng laws pay nothing to the local
governments, yet it uses the courts
more than any other class of property.
Such i tax would reduce the county
levy in most counties by at least one
half, probably more, and this tighten
ing of the burden would be felt by
every property owner, whether farmer,
mechanic or millionaire. 1t would
be especially welcome to owners o1
small properties, whether in city ol
country, who find it hard work to sup
port their families, pay their taxes and
hold their little homes clear from in
cumbrance.
The school revenues are proposed to
be helped out by two-mlll tax on
| mortgages, bonds and other interest
bearing securities. and by ten-mil
tax Qess the State tax upon the gros:
earnings of all private bankers ano
unincorporated banks and savings in
stitutions. The bankers and money
lenders object to this provision, o
course but the hard working mechan
les and laborers, the toiling farmers
and small property owners OF every
class will be glad of law which pro
vides new sources ofrevenue for schoo
support, and thus lightens the burder