Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-14

| -~~NAfAo WOuAu nave
seeuea the expenditures bv sS55' IA ~
~ al'st ingenious statement, truly
Nv We had not eaten our cake we wonid
nave had 1t now. "Niu
o,.r luxe u that the people are not do.
~ - Governor Hoggs administra-
Sn,. III spshulng too much money, but
ponct. ny, 100 little; not extrava-
re makes satisfactory account OF tho
use 20 winch the money OF the people
uas oceh put and the showing made FOR
t various state institutions, peniten-
s.a5 elesmosynary and educa tional, is
us plans for Increasing the revenue
iI tferal' In the first place, he wants
ra,.e, 80 system OF assessments, and
lSSoDlhehas, among other things that
all lands be Considered mira ia 'e
worm " per acre. Then he would
nuNe property assessed at as much. at
US rs mortgaged or Insured
~, uIiless evidence be adduced to show
'nnt these valuations are too high.
me injustice OF this latter PROPOSE
tIoh IS manifest, A man may bave
nis properly insured for Legitimate
n,iou,.' Wiliie his neighbor carries no
insurance on property equally vain.
able-shall he be made ia nay 80
taxes simply because he has sesn a,
20 insure himself against loss by Are
WINE MS neighbor gets an e1,iai
SHiount OF governmental protection fot,
nun the money, simply because he
chooses to carry his own Are rlslt9
VI - the equality in taxation mai
counts, not the valuation.
luz message proposes also that law
passed prohibiting county assessors
,',,ii' sSVptlhB valuations for urban
property lower than those mndo ~
me same prODerty NV tho ,t,-,
sors. '"e eit! asses
obviously wrong again.
h,i ne county assessor should make
ms assessments with a view to hovIn,,
them equal throughout the county an9
the stdlei II the citizens of a tow,
prefer Tor municipal purposes a higher
assessment and a lower tax rate II Ia
tmeIr business and not that Of the coun-
" or state government.
me proper basis of the v,boia o.,
sscheme Is equality: amount has moth.
ing TO do with It.
40 matter what the assessments are
II they ai@ equal AMI uniform thrn,t,,hi
Out the state. The state needs ne, O.,
huch revenue; If tae assessnneits oto
~" lhe tax rate viii be nigh. IL Tho
u9SeaS alehts are higl the AK rafeI
mln oe low And In either event. II
my are equal, the cwner Of a certain
80 iAtNtAlN WI nave
the same amount Of tax. PN'
In the matter of collecting toxas a.,
message makes number OF recoT1fn.,-
u@t!phs OF more or less value The nrst
Oh these is good strong measure f,,.
me CORRECTION Of delinquent taxes. Fbo,,t
state. uue tlle
The suggestion Of such law e..
tHe ,,o,' 70 MAKE Than the law Itself, ana
tIe governor, to complete the obligatio
OF the state, should propOge ma mi
Every stGte In the union has trlsd its
Nahd at making a law under which
good tax title could be made M
so Tar as my observation goes none
mas succeeded. The late Beniaman n
Butter once said that he would uproc
70 set aside any tax deed eyer made
IN amy state And Benjamin was MOI
given to idle boasting when legal pro-
pos lions were involved.
The trouble in the motter is oasi,, I
seen The legislator thinks the ulI-
fortunate delinquent should lose his
properly only after being given tho
greatest opportunity for redemnti,n
ana that he should be protected to me
utmost against fraud or collision be- /
tween olictrs and others, and he thpre- ]
lore plcscrlbes conditions Tor tax sales B
that are almost impossible OF fultili- |
mont Then tue court takes the matter
up with strong leaning toward the .
man VINO IL IN danger Of losing his .
properly Tor n mere song, and he re- /
guircs the officers to carry out the law |
IN supcrhuman manner Between
me TWO the tax deed falls to the ground I
am not much Of a pessmlst. but /
DO not believe the present Les. Stature T
VIII succeed in making a law under
"hlcn NaId tax deed can be written.
In the matter Of the collection OF oc-
cupatlun taxes the suggestion of fine
Fturlhg executive may prove effica-
clous IL properly statutized. He would
nave a law made under which a per
petual injunction would issue against
the delinquents engaging in his oecu-
patton until the tax demands had been
fully met. lie suggests that It be
made the duty Of the district or county
attorney 10 institute suit in such cases
ana that the proceedings have right /
OF way In the courts.
Regarding the cost OF assessing and
collecting taxes the governor shows
that for 1892 It reached TO over 10 per
cent Of the total amount collected.
StupendOus
In less than eight years the ex-
penses Of collecting the tax equals the
tax Itself for one year.
In other words, II costs the state
one-elghth as much to support two of
flcers In one county as II costs to run
all the balance Of the government
The governor thinks a statement of
the case Is the only thing necessary to
work the condemnation Of the system.
And believe him.
Don't you?
But the full message is too much for
discussion In single letter There
are other things In it--single subjects
that are worth whole columns OF rum
ination. The cost of criminal prose-
cutlons is one of these that thunders
for thought and ought to have It,
BY the way, Governor Hogg's first
message opened with the declarations;
ITO Almighty God we owe ALL" That
is omitted this time. To whom docs
the governor think we owe It now2
GEORGE BYRNE.
Gainesville Notes.