Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-27
TAX REFORM PLANS.
Colonel Price, the Extensive Iron
Manufacturer, Here to Boom
A BUSINESS MANS CONFERENCE.
The Present System Entirely Too Compli-
Gated and Unfair.
NOT ANY POLITICS IN THE MOVEMENT

| tensive iron manufacturer, Vice President
of the National Board of Trade, and Presi-
dent of the Scranton Board of Trade, was in
Pittsburg yesterday. He was a guest at the
Duquesne Club and during the day he met
facturers Colonel Price is an ardent ad-
vocate of tax reform, and he is the recog-
nized head Of the movement looking to a
conference of all the business interests of
the State to formulate a representative con-
vention to revise the tax laws and to secure
the passage by the Legislature of tax law
that will bear equally and fairly on all the
interests of the State.
Colonel Price is an active young business
man. He has large interests at Scranton,
| Philadelphia and New York, and he be-
lieves the tax system of Pennsylvania is
faulty, and demands revision and recon-
struction. The Colonel spent several hours
yesterday with j. D. Weeks, who will be
one of the 80 representatives who will
gather at Harrisburg early in February to
consider plans for revising the tax system.
Trying to UntangIe the System.
''The tax system OF Pennsylvania is won
derfully confused and muddled," Colonel
Price said. "Our effort now is if possible
to untangle the system so as to protect all
our varied interests. In our conference We
will have five representatives. from each
branch of business. We will meet in Har-
burg, and in an informal way we will talk
the matter over to see if we can get together
on any satisfactory system. If we find our
conference agreeable then we will arrange
for covention to be held next fall, at
which tax measure will be formulated"
''What is responsible for our present con-
fused tax system?" was asked.
"The interests themselves" he replied.
The rapid development of our natural gas
our petroleum, and our iron, has worked
changes in our industrial world, and each of
these, probably through politicians, have
secured rights and tavors to The disadvantage
of other interests. The system has been
changed frequently, and it has never been
looked upon as permanent In shifting
about to protect one interest or to favor an
other the system has become sort of patch
work unsatisfactory to all. I have been
greatly encouraged in my work for reform
by finding that nearly everybody looks at
the matter just as [ do.
The County Commissioners Represented.
''The County Commissioners in every
county in the State are interested, and they
have already appointed representative to
attend our conference. The Grangers will
be represented by their Legislative Com
mittee, and we have every reason to believe
that happy result will attend our meeting,
and that fair and satisfactory tax system
will be constructed at our convention to be
held later on"
''Does your contemplated work have any
political significance" was asked
"None whatever. Our efforts are in be-
half of the whole people. The tax laws of
the State must be framed without political
feeling or political color. We will go into
the Auditor Generals office and tabulate
the corporations and the tax they pay. We
will have tabulated the property and the
tax paid upon it in the offices of the County
Commissioners. We will find out where
there is high valuation and low tax rate,
and where there is low valuation and high
tax rate. All this we will endeavor to
equalize and straighten out, and above all
we will strive to formulate law that can
be understood.
Plenty of Complicated Cases.
"At present the Auditor Generals Office
is crowded with complicated cases arising
out of our muddled tax system. The Au-
ditor General refers the cases to the At
torney General, and by turn they are thrown
into the courts. The courts are overcrowded
with them, and when they are disposed of
there are conflicting opinions just as the
court deciding them is surrounded by
prejudice or interest. You know courts are
only men at best, and their decisions have
only further muddled the tax muddle''
'tWhat is your politics." was asked the
Colonel.
81 am not much of politician. I only
take the interest in politics that every good |
citizen should take. I was formerly Re-
publican but am now a Cleveland Demo- |
crat. His position on tariff legislation con-
verted ME. I am, you know, manu-
facturer, and am therefore interested, but
1 am satisfied that Mr.. Cleveland has the |
right idea on the tariff question. Time, 1 |
think, will certainly prove his position a
sound, sensible one"
Colonel Price left for his home in Scran- |
ton last night. He will return to Pitts |
burg again before the February conference
is held.