Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-01-12
THE TAXATION OF INCoMEs


Only an incomplete Graft of the in.
come tax bill having as yet been Civ
Ell to the public, it can hardly be
fairly and intelligently discussed. 1t
seems that the bill only provides for
tax of two per cent. on incomes
which exceed S4,000-that that
amount is exempt and that only the
amount in excess of it is to DO taxed.
Blanks are to be furnished those SUP
posed to hive incomes that come
within the limits of the law-so:ne
thing after tue manner of tho tax as
SCISSORS blanks in Tennessee, the
same to BIO filed out under oath
when required, Il penalty to attach
upon refusal to do so.
1t is exceedingly doubtful if this
bill becomes law. Should it pass
the House it would most probably be
defeated i'll the Senate. As David A.
Wells, the well known political econ
onist, observes, that an income tux
Is theoretically one of the most euuit
able forms OF taxation may be- nd
nitted;" but tho practical enforce
ment of such u law is not an easy
matter, nor is such law likely to be
popular measure in this country.
The people Of the United States have
long paid heavy tribute, of which
tia Government receives only a small
part, under the guIse of n protective
tariff, The most iusidious OF all meth
DDS Of taxation, but they arc unused
to such direct tax us tho income
Tux, which is legitimate enough and
correct i'll theory, but. with which
enough fnults can bo found to make
it unpopular, and which as Il law will
be largely Imperative. Some OF
these faults and difficulties are point
ed oni by Hon. w. l.. Wilson, Chair
man of the Ways and Means Com
mittee, in an article in the january
Forum. He quotes from MIR. Noble,
in his National Finance, 90 to the
place for an income Tux in tho Eng
lish system, as follows:
"The enormous service it hns ren.
dered III The liberation of trade from
multitude Of onerous and oppres
sive burdens has been already refer
red to Its existence hus rendered
possible the great reform of our sys-
tenn of indirect taxation, which has
been the foundation Of our modern
commercial progress. 1t has tho
transcendant merit over duties of Gus
toms and excise that it does not ill.,
-torfcrc with the processes of indu. :
Try or tho course of trade, and that
tho whole amount which it costs the
taxpayer is devoted to The service of
tho State. 1t is ut present almost
tho only import by means OF which
any substantial contribution is levied
from the increasing wealth of the
country, and its repeal without any
effective substitute would is.gruvtto
tho pressure of taxation upon those
classes which are lenS, ablu to bear
the burden. 1t has it's inequalities,
but they are by no means so fragrant
and unjust as tho inequalities OF in
direct taxation
Upon This Mr.. Wilson anys: "But
despite these strong arguments in ia
vor of III individual income tax and
the unqucstionable equity of its gen.
eral theory, there arc very grave
counter reasons which rise up before
~ Legislator who seeks to embody it
Into our farcial tax system. Aside
from the verysnatural objection of
those who might have to pay such
Tux, its administration is necessarily
accompanied 10y some exasperating
and some Iemoralizing incident.
Our people have so long aud gene,-
ally been free from any public scrut-
lay into their personal incomes and
even from any personal contact with
Federal tax collectors, that they re-
sent tho approach of either. More
ovor, liko the personal property tax,
winch Is so universally avoided, n
personal income tax would easily
lend itself TO fraud, concealment, per
jury, and prove, Us Mr.. Mills said, a
tax upon conscience. And finally, in
country Of tho largo geographical
dimensions of the United States, it
would be difficult to put into smooth
aud effective working order the ne.
cessary machinery for its thorough
collection"
All of this is unquestionably true,
and the proposed bill for the taxa
lion of incomes will, if it becomes Il
law, he attended with serious Difficult
ties.-Knoxville Tribune
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