Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-06
WILL TACKLE TAXES.
County Commissioners of the State
Will Meet in Plttsburg.
THEY WILL PREPARE A TAX BILL,
And Will Suggest and Recommend More
Road Legislation.
r. 3. MERCER TALKS OF THEIR WORK

The sixth annual convention of the County
Commissioner Association of Pennsylva-
mia will be held in the Court House Sep
tember IA and 15 The object of the associa-
tion is to promulgate some plan to equslize
taxation, and by open discussion of thiI
perplexing question adopt some methods
BY which bill may be presented and passed
by the State Legislature to remedy the
present inequality. So far no definite re-
suits have been realized from these deliber-
ations
A bill in accordance with the recon-
mendations of these Commissioners was
brought before the last Legislature. The
changes proposed were too sweeping and
the bill was rejected Another will be laid
before the next Legislature, greatly modi.
fed and in accordance with the changed
cussiou of the defects of the last.
The chief power of the Association is
placed in an Executive Committee This
committee submits a written report of its
deliberations and embodies what may be
expected in any recommendations for q
change of legislation. This committee con-
sists of R. E Mercer, Allegheny
County, Chairman; s D. Ramsey,
Chester; W.. W. Griest, Lancaster;
d. A. Sawdey, Erie;J J. f. Brosius, Clin-
ton; S. W. Shaw, westmoreland; F. d.
Simar, Mexican; 81. L. Halstead, Lacka-
wanna; +. A. Judd, Beaver; S. G. De Turk,
Schuylkill; T. II. Bailey, Tioga; s K.
Anders. Montgomery; ]. B. Cowan, Blair;
A. W. Mulholland, Jefferson, and Henry
Evans, Luzerne. Each member of the
committee submits a written recommends
tion to the chairman. These recommends
tions are embodied in report and submit
ted to the convention.
Many Delegates Expected.
About 200 delegates are expected to be
present. Every county in the State will be
represented. Each county through Its au-
thorized commissioners will present sep
arate recommendation, and what is con-
sidered best for the interests of the respec-
tive localities.
At the coming meeting great stress will
be laid upon the formation of State Sta
tistical Bureau. This State is behind many
other States in the way of having proper
the relative Importance of each. j. A.
Price, sf Scranton, of the State Tax Con-
ference, had been engaged to speak on this
subject but his place will likely be taken
by Joseph W. Weeks, a member of the
same conference.
County Commissioner R. E. Mercer in an
interview last evening said: "This associa-
tion has been working for the past five
years to get at some way to equalize taxa
tion. This subject has always been causing
great deal of trouble and we find it very
difficult to handle. Last year a bill was
presented partly in accordance with our
recommendations, but we soon saw our mis-
take and the matter had to be dropped at
that time. 1 do not know yet what the
next bill will be like as the various mem
bers of the Executive Committee have not
made their reports to me. 1 expect to re-
ceive them within the next week. These
will be revised and changed before being
adopted as they must harmonic. In
State like Pennsylvania, where so many in
terests are concerned, this is hard to be
done. But 1 can tell you one thing, the re-
suit will be more acceptable than our former
work, as 1 have assurance of this already.
Were Forced to Unite
ever since the law was changed and the
office of County Engineer was created in
1873 it took all this work out of our hands
ard there has not been much for the Com
missioners to do but make the appropri-
ations they recommend. The law was
again changed in 1879. These changes led
from bad to worse till we had to form this
association so that by united efforts wa
could get the proper legislation on this
subject.
''One of the most troublesome questions
is he one that has been raised in this city
that OF the exemption of property in the
way of assessments. We will especially
direct our efforts to have this changed.
And this brings up another questionable
duties of assessors. This class of men has
always had much power in the way of
making returns, and we are directing our
efforts to have the law changed regulating
these so as to make the results more salts
1.-THE trend of the recommendations to be
made in the coming bill, will be breaking
up the line between the taxing of indivi- |
dual property holders and corporations.
This question must be fought on this line,
and will be our hardest task The agricul- |
tural classes will make their power felt in
the coming recommendations and we will |
give their demands proper consideration.
Among the questions to be discussed at |
the coming convention is the new registra- |
ton law. This question has been before |