The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-02-24
THE GOULD MILLIONS.
AID rzz uHBR1rAECE TAX


yfews.l
The announcement that the state Of
New York will receive an inheritance
tax Of about $500, goo from Lhe estate
of Jas Gould has called forth a sharp
discussion OF this mode OF taxation in
the newspapers. While some writers
maintain that the share of the state
should be made much larger, others
coEueun tie lax as unjust and perui-
cIUus. Lawyers and iaymen have pro-
nOunced il unconstitutional; it has
"eeu styled .'au Infamous measure of
TAXATION" ga penalty on DEATH -
stealing from tile estate by legislative
authority" Fan outrage that can OIi1y
find precedent ia oriental autOcratic
governments" II has been objected
t. as double taxatiuu, which will be
sure to drive away capital. Tux the
property OF the people all that is nee
essary writes "a clergy man, but
don step in between father and son
in aH WTighJeOus Manner Never
since the obnoxious Stamp act WAS
passed 10y England - declares another
New Yorker, ''has any statute found
its way into our books which was more
iuyidlOus and hateful.'
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
Nearly every civilized country ia the
world has All Inheritance Tax as part
Of its fiscal system; and ia many couu-
tries Mr. GOuld's esta would have
paid much more than 500 900. In
France OF Italy tile share of the state
would have been about u million dol
lars; in England, nearly three millions;
ia Ontario ur Victoria, more than
three and Il half millions. In most of
the American commemorative. on the
other hand, there would have been no
tax whatever, though in few states
the comparatively small requests 20
-he brother and sisters would have
been taxable, and if Mr.. Gould had
lived in Chicago his estate would have
paid some S72, 300 toward the support
Of the Cook county probate court. If
be had died two years ago bis estate
would have paid TO tax in New York,
for it was only in 1891 that the Iegisla-
ture imposed the l per cent tax on
direct nheritances Of personal proper
ty, in the c,sse OF estates exceeding
$40. OOO in value.
A NEW CANADIAN TAX.
Last spring an Inheritance tax with
many interesting features was adopted
in the province CT Ontario. The
tax applies only to estates Of more CIlan
SIOO, 200 where the property goes to
direct heirs, and only to estates OF
more than $1,000 ia other cases.
The rates ars p per cent for direct
heirs when the value of tine estate is
between 500, 900 aud 500, 900; o per
cent for direct heirs when tile estate
exceeds $500, 900 in-vaiue, and for tie
grand parents, brothers and sisters.
and their descendants; and uncles and
auHts ana their descendants, 10 per
cent Tor other persons. The purpose
of the tax, as set forth in the presmb BILE
Of the act imposing it, is to defray =
part Of the cost Of the asyiums, hos
pitfalls and other charities maintained
by the province.
H AUsTRALAsIA
The ''dutiss on estates Of deceased
persons" form one OF the Chief sources
of revenue in AustraIasis. The rates
are progressive in most Of Tile colo
mics; in Victoria the maximum is 10
per cent, applying to estates Of more
than sIOO,O0G. The widow and clIil-
dren pay Oue-haif tile schedule rates.
Ia New South Wales tile maximum is
5 per cent aud no favor is shown the
/ direct heirs. HI South Austria ia, on
the other hand, the successiusi duly is
/ graGualed from - 10 per csnL, ac-
cOrding to relationship alone; and there
I is a probate duty ina addison. Until
recently the highest rate ia Australia
STA has been the Is per cent minimum
Of New Zealand; but by al act Of las.
October Queensland HOW takes 20 per
cent Of large amounts DequsaLhed 20
peEsOns not related 20 the tssUator.
Tasmania has = slightly progressive
tax, levied on personally alone.
At the Cape OF Good Hope the inner
/ itaHce tax Was Introduced nearly thirty
years ago. The rates are from 1 TO / s
per cent, according to relationship.
The United Kingdom has IA cOmpIi-
Gated system of death dutiez,'' as
Mr.. GlHdstous has aaH-sd them, kIlosyn
separately as the probate, account,
legacy, succession and estate duties.
The prOkaye duty, winch must be paid
before tie estate eau be settled, and
the account duty ON gifts, which,
strictly speakipEs is not death duty
at all, apply to personally alone, slsd
the rauss approximate 3 psr cent
The legacy duty on personal property
and the ancaessiOn duty On realty aud
settled personally are graduated ae-
sarduiE 70 relationship. The estate
daty IS an additional i per cent tax Gu
property amsaRting % &c. or
uloCei 50 that Iis enoet IS 70 unska the
/ death duties slightly progressive
/: There is qu aunuai tax in lien o. death