The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-03-23
CECIL FARMERS CLUB.
Continued from Page L.

Commission Of 1888. This bill was passed by
the Senate of which | was IA member almost
unanimously and also by the House of Dele
gates with few opposing votes. The people
of the State felt that finally relief had come
from the unequal burdens of taxation, but
were destined to disappointment. After the
adjournment of the Legislature Governor
Brown, following the example of Governor
Jackson. vetoed the assessment bill of 1892.
In 1894, offered again the bill which had
been passed by the Legislature of 1892. This
bill was passed by the Senate with Il safe
majority. and was afterwards defeated in the
House of Delegates by means which, if rumors
are true, were as disreputabe as were ever
practised by a corrupt lobby.
Such in brief is the memorable history of
the failure of fair and equal taxation and
assessment in Maryland.
While these failures have been enacted
either by the Legislative or Executive depart
ments of our government, the unequal
burdens imposed on II part of the people of
this State have gone on increasing.
In 1876 we had our last assessment law and
>
been sending up the cry for relief, asking for
bread and receiving "A stone
Taxation cant be equalized and escaping
property reached by sporadic assessment. At
short intervals all the property should be
revalued and reassessed to have anything
like substantive relief. The pressing demand
then is for an assessment law which will reach
tl,,,, - Al,
being conceded, the important question is:
What kind of an assessment bill should be
passed, and how to get t?'
1t is absolutely necessary to have an assess
ment law which will reach all property and
then keep it up on the tax lists. To expend
$3.50, 900 to pay the officers for a new assess
ment without features in the law which will
remedy the existing evils would be squand-
ering of the public funds, with no beneficial
results. These are inquiries which must be
made and answered in order to be advised rs
to what are the specific evils to be remedied
IN our tax system. Some of these are the
following:
First. What amount of property escapes
taxation? The last national census gives the
estimated wealth or property of every State
in the Union. If this estimate for Maryland
is taken and from it deduct the taxable basis
for 1894 we get the amount Of property which
escapes, as follows:
Wealth or property in Maryrd. II 200, zoo, goo
Taxable basis, 1894, 529. 1873, l03
500, s6l .S97
This simple statement tells the alarming
story that over one half billion of property
the property in the State pays its own taxes
and the taxes of the other half.
What class pays these double taxes? The
farmers, owners of the homes III Baltimore
City and the merchants of the State.
In the basis above given there is not ten
per cent Of stocks and bonds which pay an
income from to 6 per cent. They are prac-
tcally to-day exempt. Is it fair that the
owners of the lands should be taxed to their
full value, and the owners of another kind of
property pay no taxes?
2. The property of corporations largely
escape their just share of taxes. The vaue of
the working capital of corporations is best
produces. If something produces 10000 |
know behind it is $1,000 of value at a capital
ization of six per cent. The taxable value in
such should be $1,000. because this is the
value of its capital. In a case of a corporation
know Of, it is taxed on basis of 50. 900 900.
Its working capital is producing Il net income
of about 100000. This capitalized, would
III. ~. M
Deduct what is actually taxed that is
80 900 900. from what ought to be taxed, that
is So, 000,0 900, and you have - 600 900 escap-
ing taxation in this single ease. The above is
true of most corporations with some few
exceptions. What an enormous amount
would be added to the basis if all corpora
tions were taxed just rs natural persons are
taxed. This is all that is demanded. This
the people are determined to have.
3. Listing is necessary TO keep personality
in the basis. Your assessment law may reach in
the year of assessment the invisible personal
property, but it will escape the next year
unless your machinery has the listing system.
This requires the owners annually to list or
report their personal property 1t is not
necessary for lands rs these cannot be hid.
A man may be willing to conceal his personal
property the assessment year when he feels
he will not be called on again in Il general
assessment for ten years, but he won't do
this If every year he has to practice afresh his
concealment
1. How to get an assessment law. The
people o. the State must elect a Governor
and Legislature who will be true to the
public welfare, and pass an assessment law
which will be just to all and oppressive to
none.
At the conclusion of Senator Hayes re-
marks. the members of the club generally
expressed their qualification at listening to
the Senator and as being in accord with him
In his general theories of taxation.
AT this juncture the President designated
Messrs. Ii. s. Coudon, Sutton and Waters the
committee to examine Col. Bonds premises.
Upon assembling after dinner, Mr.. II. $.
Coudon reported favorably the condition of
Mr.. Bonds stock and premises.
The postponed comment on the essay read
by Col. Bond being in order, Mr.. Joseph
Coudon expressed his qualification at hearing
it.
Similar comment was made by Mr.. Wilson
and Mr.. Sutton.