The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-06

HOUSTON, SATURDAY, Fen, q.
THE QUESTION OF EQUITABLE TAXA.
TInN


The comptroller Of the State OF New
York has Just sent TO The Post an extract
from his latest report. calling special at
iention to the Inheritance TAX aad suggest
. ing that in view Of the Importance Of the
subject he would like TO have thu COM
ments upon it Of the PRESS generally.
Comptroller Roberts says that The cal
lection OF the succession or collateral in
heritanee tax last year Was not attended
with as satisfactory rcsaits as could have
been desired. and he suggests several
amendments 10 existing laws. The TAX on
inherlianees IN Now York Is PAT cent
WHERE the estate passes to l.neal heirs and
s per cent upon that portion going 10 col
laierals and strangers to the blood The
reason for this kind Of q tax is that SO
many large estates escape a rishiiui share
Of the burdens o. taxation during The lives
q iaelr first owners. or OF any owners.
The only chance a, such property is when
BY wln or Inventories it pHEses from one
hand TO another The otiection 70 it.
chiefly, IS that the heir or lega,ee IS com
PEELED 10 pay for the shortcomings as a
good citizen Of the person from whom the
Inheritance came. An lnn9cen, heir must
making good his testators ,ax-dsdgips.
l; can not be disputed tina; all kinds Of
property should be made 10 bear their pro-
portion OF tho burdens OF taxation Gov
ernments are exousshle for resorting 10
some extraordinary means to secure just
and equitable distribution OF taxes Comp
troller Roberts calls attention to a sguifl-
cant fact in this connection. He says that
Since 1856, for example, the sum OF s20l6..
ooo, 600 has been invested IN the capital oi
corporations in New York and that This
suIn is nearly five times as much as the
total value Of personal property. now car
ried on the States tax rolls Very properly
he asks. Where Is all this personal property
when the tax assessor Is atound3 As
writer In Case and Common, REMARKS on
the subject OF taxation; The poor mans
home never escapes taxation; the rlca
mans personally usually escapes IN whole
or part"
The best remedy. after all, It would seem,
Hes In arousing and quiekeuing public sen.
timent and in simplifying the tax laws. 1t
ought to be possible to reach by the proper
questions under oath and under severe
pains and penalties for false swearing Ii
complete inventory Of any mans pusEes-
sions. either real or personal. II necessary
the whole tax system should be revised un-
til its very simplicity rendered # impossi-
bio to eyade a return Of all kinds of prop
erty and then-the lists should be pub
lished for the inspection OF everybody Sup
pose It were perjury to make false return
and the publication OF lists would show to
scores OF people. acquainted with clti-
GEMS possessions, that he had committed
men or any considerable number OF men
would continue to take such risks OF ex-
posuro and punishment?
But tax reforms. like all other reforms
must be backed by public sentiment-they
will come only In response to popular de-
mands. SO long as the few are content to
bear the burdens OF the many they will
continue to bear them and without being
entitled to any CREST sympathy, great
deal OF this inequality of taxation IL the
fault OF tax assessors. When the results OF
tne work OF assessors and boards OF equall-
sation are made public by law great step
Forward will have been taken. However. |
the people or tho peoples representatives
In legislative halls must first take action