The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-01-10
State Finances,

1t IL manifest from the reports Of thehuditor
and treasurer of state, as well as by The ex.
pericnce Of years, that the states revenues are
inadequate for the needs Of the state, and
some legislation should be had which will in.
sure permanent increase of these revenues.
My predecessors for series of years have
urged this subject upon the consideration OF
the legislature, and while full relief has not
been found, yet some advance has been made
in the direction Of larger Ie;enue3, without
adding any further 4Jlrthens to real or other
property already bearing It's full share of tax.
alton. New subjects OF taxation, which have
heretofore escaped their just share of the pub
lie burthen@ are slowly but with certainty
being placed upon the tax duplicate.
The Mass.e law levies franchise tax Of one.
tenth OF per coat upon the capital stock OF
Ohio companies for the pr"yilega OF becoming
incorporated or ,nsjldet,i under the laws
of Ohio. The law yields an annual revenue Of
more than Slj0,0U; the Eard law requires
every foreign corporation having u plant in
Ohio TO pay n tax of one-tenth Of | per cent
upon the proportion of its capital stock rcpre
sented by property in this state, and will
yield about SO, 90 revenue annually; the Car
penter law requires all foreign corporations to
file n statement with the secretary of state
designating person upon whpm service cnn
be ma1o aai % pay foo. There has been
collected annually about 5000; foreign insuT-
nnce companies are required to pay tax to
coipts, while the difference between tho
amount thus paid in the counties and the 81
por cent on their gross premium receipts Is
made payable to the superintendent of insur-
ance for tho privilege Of doing business In
Ohio, which has resulted in an increase of the
revenues OF the state npproximatng $4,000 per
year; to bear the expenses Of the state de
partment Of commissioner of railroads and
telcgraphs IN annual assc jsinent OF $l5, ,0J0, ap
portioncd according to gross receipts, il made
upon the railroad companies OF Ohio; excise.
tax ON express cOinpnn.cs requires ali express
companies to pay the state for the privilege of
doing business in the state OF Ohio, n tax of
per cent on their gross receipts from OHIO buO-
ness as hscertainel by n state board. The
validity Of this TAX is now pending in the Su'
preine court, The taxes AMI penalties paid,
or in Judgment, under this law, amount to
over 5000 The Griffin law, taxing sleeping
ear jmpanies in Ohio, levie' an excise tax of
per cont on the yiuO of that proportion OF the
capital stock of the company represented by
cars owned and used in Ohio, the amount to be
asccrtaincd upon the mileage basis. Since the
enactment of this measure the Pullman and
Wagner Palace Car companies have paid the
stato Sl2,4SL H. The inheritance tax lcyying
direct inheritance tax, has been held invalid
by the supro-ae court because of the inequal-
ty of its graded feature and large exemption.
AT the same time the power OF the state to
raise revenue by tnxing SUGGESTIONS has been
sustained. The Nichols law, providing for I
state Dard Of Appraisers and assessors to as
sess tho property In Ohio Of telegraph, tole-
phone and express companies, taking the value
Of the capital stock a. guide, has resulted in
all the taxes which would have bt en- paid under
the old Law being paid, and in addition some
f3)00J; while there remains in dispute the
taxes on the added valuation Of about $500
co.. or between $4,000 and $4,000 Of taxes TN
nually.