The state chronicle., 1891-09-10

this place is done on credit. Our
citizens are continually borrowing
money, and wisely investing it to
the advantage OF both themselves
and the community. Now any one
can readily appre ;iate the embar-
rassment when a lender iinds
piece Of land upon which he has
been asked to advance $4,000,
valued perhaps by its owner. or one
of his most intimate friends, UNDER
OATH, as only worth $4,000, and
this is exactly what frequently
occurs; and many are the business
transactions which are in this way
utterly defeated.
But whether or not YOU agree
with me on the disadvantages of
low valuation and a high tax levy,
you cannot deny that it is the duty
of the legislature to enact such laws
as will carry out the provisions of
the State Constitution. Each man
can see for himself by glance at
the tax rolls that this is not done
in his county, and if he takes the
trouble to read the law he will find
that there is no effort whatever
made to establish between counties
any "uniform rule of ad ralorena
taxation"
On the contrary each county is
absolutely debarred from consulta-
tion with any other; an acre Of land
on one side of an imaginary line
may be, aye in fact often is, valued
at one hundred dollars, while one
equally good in all respects, but on
the opposite side of this imaginary
line is valued at ten dollars. Sure.
ly this ought not so to be.
Not only is no provision made
for equalization of assessment, but
every inducement if held out to pro
cure the very lowest possible valua
, ton, and these inducements gener
ally accomplish their object.
Reflect that each Legislature
fixes the levy before having any
: knowledge Of the amount of prop
erty to be affected by such levy.
never could see the wisdom of thi
course, On the contrary | cOnten'
that it is absolutely un-business like
? When the last Legislature mad
: a levy of 3 cents for pensions, not
single man knew or could knoS
e whether he was appropriating t.
our disabled soldiers fifty thousan
L or one hundred thousand dollars, be
4 cause no one knew upon what val
) uation of property the levy wa
: made.
After fixing the per cent. tie a
sessment is ordered. Then arise
the cry from each county, from eac
. assessor, from each taxpayer: "W
y must keep down our assessments {
. we will have to pay more than ou
y proportion of State tax" An
% fearing to pay too much, they 60
" the extreme of low assessments, al
:" thus fail to pay their just propo
= =, ton, entailing embarrassment upo
~ each department of the State go
" ernment.
10 How much more sensible it wou
"a be for the legislature to say, folio
To ing verbatim the words of sectit
=, Z article 6 of the Constitution, "v
~ levy so many thousand dollars f
n. school purposes, so many thousal
81 dollars for pensions, so many
Va each department of State COVER
., ment. These amounts we dee
- sufficient to enable each to be g
y, ministered with true economy. '
,rs provide machinery by which eve
its piece of property shall be valu
,at uniformly. We instruct the O.
70 ernor with the assistance of
ON counsel of State after having
nd ceived full returns from the c;
nat vassors, to fix such aper cent. od
hat loren upon the property of es
in and every person in the State,
tho will raise the amount now app
priated for each object"
mi If this was done the objection