Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-02-09
JEFFERSON CITY GOSSIP.


a Bill Under Considered ion In the Senate
of No Small Importance to Merchants
and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and the
Taxation of Property-4A Hill to Knock
Out Lightning Rod swinsliers.
JEFFERSON CRY, Mo-, Feb. 6.-The
senate has under consideration bill
that is of no small Importance to mer-
c hants and manufacturers. It was in
troduced some time ago by Senator
Rouner, of Knox county, and seeks to
repeal two old sections of law under
which notes and accounts held by
merchants and manufacturers are
exempt from taxation under certain
provisions As the law now stands
merchants and manufacturers make q
report of the greatest amount of stock
they have on hand at any time between
March and June Of each year to the
county clerks and on this they pay a
tax. The law Mr. Rouner desires to
repeal sprovides that notes. due bills,
etc. held by su CHI parties shah not be
listed for taxation for-o one year after
given. The theory of this provision is
that the entire value of the stock has
been returned for assessment in the
statement filed with the county clerk.
and that the notes and due bills
held represent stock sold which
has been properly taxed. In 9TH
er words, that to assess such
evidences of Indebtedness would result
in double taxation. Mr.. Rouner thinks
hat the exemption laws referred to
are unconstitutional, but others differ
with him. and his bill has been vigor-
ously attacked in the senate. He
stated some weeks ago that if the ex-
emptions are repealed several millions
of dollars of property will be added to
the taxable values of the state. an no
doubt this is correct The merchants
do not seem to be aware that such legis-
lation is contemplated; at all events,
its passage has not been protested
outside of the senate. Two years ago
bill requiring merchants to list all
such property, and even goods in their
custody or consigned to them. passed
both houses before its existence was
discovered by the very class OF men it
was intended to effect. Before the bill
had reached the president of the sem
ate, however, such a strong protest was
made that he refused to sign it. and,
being Endorsed by the senate in such
action, the measure failed. Mr..
Rouner's bill is now pending in the sem
ate as a special order, and may be taken
up at any time.
A subcommittee of the house ways
and means committee has been at work
for ten days or more lendeavoring to
frame a general law out of the numer-
GUS bills pending affecting in one direc-
ton or another the revenue and the
taxation of property. For two years
efforts have been made to enact a law
requiring assessors to stamp notes and
obligations listed for taxation, and rem
der non-collectable and non negotiable
all evidences of indebtedness not SO
stamped. The committee is opposed to
this measure and SO reported the
other day. There are numerous
measures of somewhat SINH
lar character, and the commit
tee has not been able to agree on sub
stitute embodying any of the ideas. A
bill providing an indirect manner Of
taxing mortgages by applying pro
rata of the tax paid on mortgaged
property on the interest and principal
of Indebtedness has been discussed by
the committee at great length without
a satisfactory conclusion being reached,
and it will doubtless be returned TO the
house without Recommendation.
The impression prevails that very
large per cent. of personal property,
such as notes, bonds, mortgages, etc. ),
escapes taxation, but the committee is
averse to tearing up the revenue laws
and perhaps be the means of causing
worse evils than now exist. In fact
| the subcommittee has not been able to
accomplish much, as the radical
changes proposed are considered
dangerous. The general changes
of Importance contemplated by
| the committee relate to an increase in
the state dramshop license from $50 to
800 per year, and possibly the imposi-
ton Of a state tax of a fraction of one
cent per gallon on beer. While some
have considered this latter suggestion
in the light of a joke. it is not SO re-
garded by the committee, and the state
meL comes directly therefrom that in
all probability the tax will be recon-
mendt d.
The house as committee of the
| whole has passed favorably upon four
appropria ton bills, disposing of about
s., sos, 600 of the state revenue for the
years 1S93-1S94. the school appropria-
| ton being estimated on the auditors
figures. This sum is, accordingly. de
vided as follows: Purchase of bonds,
Il, 900, 600; public schools, 81, 2s0. 900; as
sessing and collecting revenues $500, 900;
interest on general debt, s525 900; inter-
est on consolidated bonds, $349, O60; in-
terest on 5 per cent. bonds, $231. 600; inter-
eet on per cent. bonds, 81, $40; in-
| terest on per cent, certificates, al, 700;
| interest on Rollins fund. 5000; interest
on seminary fund, e13I, so4; interest on
trust fund. 1915. While the appropria-
ton for the public schools was pending
Mr.. Tubbs secured the adoption of an
amendment providing that all fees
turned over to the state treasurer from
inspection of oils shall become part of
the public school fund. This amend
ment may be rejected later on, but in
any event it will be of no value unless
the bill placing coal oil inspectors on q
salary passes
Mr. Russell, of Crawford county. has
introduced q bill in the house to pro-
tect the travelling public from injury to
trunks and grips by baggage smash
ers It makes the destruction or i'm
jury Of such property by any railway