St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-10
A TAX CoNUNDRUM.

The problem how to make the bur
dens of taxation fall equally upon all
persons has never been solved, and the
older communities are quite as much at
sea in the matter as the new. In MasSa-
chusetts, Pennsylvania and other sec
tons w.ere personal property is much
larger in proportion 10 realty than IN
the Western and agricultural states the
legislatures are attempting to devise
additional methods of compelling the
less tangible property to cease to shirk
its rightful part in meeting the demands
of the public treasury. In Pennsyl-
vania the personal property is believed
to exceed the value of the real estate,
and yet the latter pays "a to the tax
gatherer while the personal pays one.
In New York state the most capable
judges believe that the personal
property is nearly equal to the
realty in value, and yet 1t is assessed at
only about one-eighth the amount OF the
realty. In fact, in spite of the enormous
increase of wealth, the assessment of
personal property in New York state IS
SCI, 0000 900 less than it was twenty years
ago. In Baltimore and Boston the alb
Surdly ineffective and inequitable Oper-
alton of the tax laws has greatly en-
couraged the movement to abandon all
taxation of personal pronerty. The new
reform mayor of Boston strongly favors
that policy, as do portion, at least. OF
the most influential papers. 1t is urged
further on the ground that capital alb
horS taxation, and can easily find the
localities where it is least veXed. one
authority states thai recent attempt to
enforce the tax laws drove $20,0Q0,000 of
capital from Boston to Philadelphia.
The fact that so meager a proportion OF
the personal property is reached by the
tax agencies is an obvious Injustice to
those who do make the full returns, as
well as to the land and realty owners.
Gov. PATTIsoN, of Pennsylvania, In his
message. says the houses and farms of
the people bear ten times as much OF
the public burdens as personal prop
erty. and asks:
What delinquency has real estate been
guilty of that it should be thus unfairly dis
eliminated against? 1t is the most productive.
the most needful and the most stable form or
property. 1t adds most to our wealth, re-
mains always with us, shelters and sustains
our people and at once attracts and. if justly
treated, retains and multplies population.
There is a balefui vice III the form of govern
ment that inflicts penalty upon lands and
houses and makes their ownership difficult
and burdensome. The farmer and house
holder has no right to an exemption from his
fair share of the public expense, but he has
a right TO Just and impartial treatment that
cannot be ignored except at a cost OF social
tranquility. The inequality referred TO is
patent to every eye There is not a citizen
in the commonwealth payinga tax upon his
home or farm who cannot point to some
neighbor owning many times as much IN
personal goods and idle capital, who yet pays
an UNNECESSARILY less amount of tax. Such
unjust discrimination is working untold evil
10 our people; is expressing the poor; is ex-
empting the rich; is day by day establishing
unfortunate social distinctions that are
foreign to our principles of government, de-
struetive of the happiness and energies OF
men and blasting the hopes that we have all
prayerfully entertained of our country be-
coming the home of contented and happy
people.
Aregenue commission has investigated
the subject and suggested methods that
promise greater efficiency, evidently,
as il is stated that a powerful lobby is at
work to defeat any revision that will
reach corporate and other money inter
ests. The situation is the same, in a
greater or less measure, in every state.
The visible property pays vastly more
than its just share of the taxes. The
farmer and real estate owner carry the
burdens with small aid from the possess
ors of personal property. The men
with large wealth not in palpable and
immoyabIe substance do not pay an
equal proportion of the taxes with the
small house or land owner. Those with
lIttie,as rule, afford the larger share to
hesupport of the government. The sub
ject is of growing important must have
some solvent found for its obstinate de-
fiance of the general veal.