The Opelousas courier., 1895-02-02
General opert Tax.

The characteristic feature Of the
present system of taxation in all the
states in the United States is the tax
ing of all property, movable and un-
movable, real and personal, at one uni
form rate. This is known as the gen.
eral property tax. The following ex-
tracts are made from a monograph, by
Prof. =. R. A. Seligman, of Columbia
College, New York, concerning the de-
fects of this system Of taxation. These,
according to this eminent authority,
may be discussed under five heads.
list. Luck Of Uniformity, or Inequality
Of Assessment. In all the states it is ex-
pected that the valuation shall every
where be made at a uniform rate. The
official reports abound with complaints
or open confessions, that property is
assessed all the way from par to one
twenty-ffth of the actual value. In
n county the property is listed at its
full worth, in the next county the as
sessment does not exceed a 1.-THE of its
value; = A tax rate of a
given amount on one may be double,
quintuple or decuple the nominally
equivalent tax on another. The first
constitutional injunction, that of uni
formity of taxation is thus fagrantly
violated. F
I'd. Lack Of Internally, w Fatktre
to Reach Personal Property. Personal
property nowhere bears its just pro-
portion of the burdens, and,it is pre-
cisely in those localities where its ex-
tent and Importance are the greatest
that it's assessment is the least. The
taxation OF personal property is in in
verse ratio to its quantity. The more
it increases the less it pays. The tenth
census of the United States asserts that
from 1860 to 1880 the assessed valuation
Of real estate increased from Sc, 973,-
0o6, 600 to $1s, 036, 767, 600 while that Of
personal property decreased from S.
III, 554, 600 to s 1886, 237, GOO. These
striking figures become ridiculous
when it is remembered that in u
modern civilization the value of per-
sonal property far exceeds that OF real
estate, as understood by the taxing
power.
1.-THE editor doubts il it does.
3rd. "Incentise to Dishonesty. Any at
tempt to enforce the taxation of per-
sonalty by more rigid methods results
in evasions and receptions. The only
result Of more rigid execution Of the
law is q more systematic and universal
system Of deception. official documents
tell us that INSTEAD of being a tax
upon personal property, it has in effect
become a tax upon ignorance and hon
esty,n and the West Virginia commits
sion says that ''the payment OF the tax
personally is almost as voluntary,
and is considered pretty much in the
same light as donations to the neigh
borhood church or Sun~day-school."
4th. "Rsgressetsy. The general prop
erty tax in its practical effects is re-
.gressive. For the tax on personally is
levied practically only on those who
already stand on the assessors book as
liable to the tax on realty. Those who
own no real estate are not taxed at all;
those who possess realty bear the taxes
for both.
THE editor does not believe this.
5th. double I0rdtion. Perhaps tho
greatest weakness of our general prop
erty tax and the one which has given
to the most interminable discus
sion is connected with the subject OF
debt exemption. 70 tax both lender
and borrower for the same property is
plainly double taxation. and therefore
unjust. The fallacy OF the contrary
opinion consists in looking at the prop
erty rather than at the owner. What
state desires to reach is primarily
The individual. It taxes his property
simply because it considers this 9 test
,f his ability to pay. But his ability is
reduced pro tdnto by his
lebts. His true taxable property,
therefore, consists ID his surplus above
indebtedness On the other hand It is
trus, that deduction for debts
5 thoroughly pernicious insits opera
ii d the universal testimony
hat no portion 81 the tax lawn offers
more temptations to fraud and perjury
han this system Of offsets The Gre
.tion Of fictitious debts Is thus . pay
M investment Both meth
are unendurable, and we are there
ore forced to tho conclusion that the
vhole system Is unsound."
Prot. Seligu,an then takes MP tho
~ where there Il No general proper