The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-16
INSANE LEGIsLATIox.


A bill is pending in the Pennsylvania
legislature which. If il should become a
law, could have no other effect than to
prevent the inaux OF active and enterpris-
ing business men, and to drive out of the
state all srch who, without too great sac
rifces. could get away. Urged on the
plea that it is designed to reach all classes
of property for purposes Of taxation, and
to justly equalize tax burthens, it might
more properly be entitled an act to depop-
ulafe and ruin the state.
This climax of the prevailing lunacy on
the tax question provides for complete
inventory Of the personal effects of every
person, firm and corporation, including
household furniture and tools, which in
ventories must be printed and distributed
among all the taxpayers of the several
districts. thereby inviting each to become
spy upon his neighbors. This bill fur
ther provides that for any collision be-
tween an assessor and a taxpayer to avoid
making full inventory or to avoid pay
menf of any portion of q tax, both are to
he imprisoned FOR three years at hard labor,
in addition to fine Of one thousand
dollars.
If they are not printers, or interested in
some printing establishment, the sage
author and supporters of this quaint meas
ure have probably but faint conception
Of the cost that would be involved in put
ting it into operation, as to printing alone
In the city OF Philadelphia, for instance,
there are in round numbers not less than
225, 600 taxable persons, firms and corpor-
atoms A detailed inventory of the per-
soma! effects of all these, such as this law
contemplates, would each year make sew
eral large volumes, of which there would
necessarily have to be 225,0OO sets printed
and distributed, which in the course of an
ordinary lifetime would necessitate some
sort Of library warehouse for each tax
payer.
Alarm lest this wild absurdity should
become law has frightened some taxpay-
crs into the other extreme, some even
taking up with Henry Georges idea of de-
irving all taxation from land alone.
Among these latter is Henry G. Lea, a
man of great wealth and of national repu-
tation, whose property is almost exclu-
sively in the shape of real estate, his per-
sonalty being quite limited in amount.
But in a communication to the press he
has volunteered TO submit to an excessive
tax upon his realty rather than have this
destructive scheme put into operation.
As heavy taxpayer / have naturally
given the subject of taxation some thought
for many years past" says Mr. Lea, land
my conviction is settled that real property
is the surest and fairest basis on which to
levy the public revenue. 1t cannot eiude
the assessor, as the great bulk of personal
property can; its value can be estimated
with reasonable accuracy, and is not sub
jcct 10 sudden or violent fluctuations ~
He makes the further point that it is the
presence OF personal property and of bust
ness around it that gives its chief value to
real estate, which makes the difference be-
tween land at 25 cents an acre and Sa5 a
square foot
"Of all classes" he adds, "the land
owner is the one most interested in having
capital and business untrammeled to earn
the largest profits. He gets, sooner or
later, one way or another, his full share
of those profits. and it is suicidal for him
TO drive away that which alone gives his
land its special value over government
lands in the territories Some such
thoughts as these, without gong to the
extremes that he now suggests, should
har a. .~t Z
situated when the choice of legislators was
on the tapis. At that time, most likely.
they folded their hands and left every
thing to be managed by 1.-THE boys" They
had no time TO spare for machine poll
ties And many of them. most likely.
countenanced the selection and aided 10
elect candidates who were popular with
and could command the votes OF the
slums.
And now they are reaping the lust.
though il may be bitter reward for their
qussi-criminal Indifference. OF all classes,
probably, '',he landowner" has the small
est representation in the Pennsylvania
legislature. 1t is preposterous 10 hint that
this was necessarily or unavoidably so. II
is prepcs;eroas 10 hint that Mr.. Lea and
his class, if in their citizens duty to the
state they had ATTENDED to business"
might not have commanded potent in
tluence and had ii otherwise But they
shut their eyes, turned their backs and
left the Sums to rule, and have but them
selves to thank for being forced To Nv from
this suicidal vagary to Henry Georgeism-
ont OF the frying-pan into the fire.