The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-07-13
LOWER TAX RATE.
COMPTROLLER GENERAL SAYS
I'M TuE RATE WILL BE REDUCED.
r.oroase of Returns Will Reduce the
an ,a+o an state as Well as County Taxes
,r, Increase Likely to Reach Forty
millions.

u ata
Tho Increase Likely to Reach Forty
Millions.
rror, the Atlanta Constitution.
The people of Georgia will be glad to
,o.r that taxes will be lower this year.
Ths statement is made by the highest
authority upon information which ap-
nears to be reliable.
I'VE are going to reduce taxes this
wear" says Comptroller General Wright
IN Speaking of the returns now being
made.
"Tf information 1 get from the equal
izprs is correct there will be substantial
increase in the return. l have heard
from thirty or forty counties located in
al narts of the state, and almost without
avcentien they say their digests will
show large return. From the best in
formation | can get the increase for the
state will be about forty Millions 10 per
cent. With such an increase we will be
able to reduce the state tax from mills
and fraction to about four and half
mills.
"There is reason to believe that some
thing like the same reduction will be
made in county taxes. Besides the gen.
eral increase in the returns of property
the counties will get this year the coun-
tv taxes on railroads, which has been held
I'D in most cases for the decision of the
court Although more than half the
railroads of the state are in the hands of
receivers, l think there will be no trouble
in getting the taxes throughIorders of he
court. Judge Newman has already au-
thorized the receiver of the Marietta and
North Georgia road to issue receivers
certificates topay the tax execution, with
the increase of the returns of property
in general, and with this railroad tax,
which adds another 10 per cent to the
amount heretofore available to them, the
counties ought to reduce their tax rate,
on the average, at least 10 per cent. Of
course cannot speak of particular cases,
for l DO not know what counties are
building courthouses, jails or bridges;
but in general, | should think theEe
would be a reduction of at least 10 per
cent in the county tax.
''AS the state and county axes go to-
gether, and are in the average about
equal, reduction of 10 per cent each
means a like reduction on the whole. |
take it that the state and county tax will
come down this year something like 10
cents on the hundred dollars. Where
county tax is not reduced there will be a
reduction of # or cents hundred on
the state tax"
MISTAKEN IDEA CORRECTED.
u saw yesterday a newspaper commu-
hleation in which it was said that no
matter how much the returns went up
the tax rate could not come down this
year, because the legislature had fixed
the rate. This is mistake The legiS-
ature fixes maximum rate, beyond
which the levy cannot go, but the actual
rate is fixed by the comptroller general
and the governor. They take the returns
see what property the levy is to be made
Oh, and how much money is to be raised.
Fhenit becomes question of arithmetic.
Ii the returns go up the rate comes
down"
"AEkB THE INCREASE COMES FROM.
while the tax rate will be lower to
everybody the assessment is higher only
" lew The masses Of the people will
pay upon little, if any, more than usual.
ana Will pay at lower rate
The increase comes mainly from two.
sources, from personal property, which
mas oeen hiding out and now seeks the
A5hV IN anticipation of the investi gation
III .ne equalizers, and from town and CITY
'0"l'y which has nearly always shown
Oil increase. The real estate outside of
vic towns will not show much increase.
among those items that will swell
t @'e returns of personal property are fer
''''1ei notes held by merchants and cot
'on neld in warehouses as security for
''''"nceS. The sales of fertilizers amount
" nearly tive million dollars. and for al
,'o'' all OF the good notes are given. The
merchants have bought on time from the
oIy and has sold on time to the farm
w. lie takes the farnoa,x, ,,4
pl''es them by the side Of his own notes
f. IOlIateral in the hands of the manu-
,"o'urer' whomay reside in another state
,ra ~ 'ne lmpressi on that as the notes
or ~ !" another state, or at least in anotb- |
VI county, they are not ta,.al,1o ~