The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-24

How to Lower the Tax Rate.
We publish this morning in another col
umn an interesting communication from
the Georgia state commission, which is
engaged in collecting funds for a state ex-
hibit at the Omaha exposition. The pur-
pose of the article is to point out that the
true, and perhaps the only. way to reduce
our tax rate is to increase tax values
What is meant by this is to develop the
states agricultural, mineral and manufac-
turing resources. For instance, in the
city of New York the tax rate is only
about 81 on the 500 for state, county and
city purposes, and in the city of Phlladel-
phia the rate is Only $1.S5 In the latter
city the tax on mortgages is but
four-tenths of 1 per cent. Here in Sa-
yannah and in Atlanta, the tax rate for
state, county and city purposes is pretty
close to 50 on the 500. 1t threatens to
reach per cent. in the very near future
The main reason why the tax rate is
so much less in the Northern cities, not
withstandlng their extravaganza, is their
enormous tax values.
There is not much probability that there
viii be any considerable reduction in APP
Preparations in the state. They are much
more likely to be increased than decreased,
because new demands upon the state treas
ury are all the time being made-and
they are demands which have the APP
prevail of the people The candidate for
Governor who tells the people that he
will reduce taxation if he is elected Gov
ernor simply means that In his annual
messages he will recommend economy. He
knows that he cannot reduce taxation to
any appreciable extent, and he ought to
know that every sensible man who is ac-
quainted with the financial affairs of the
state knows that he cannot accomplish
anything in the way of lowering the rate
of taxation. The candidate who endeav-
ors TO gain the good will of the people by
telling them that if elected Governor he
will bring about reduction of the tax
rate is not dealing fairly with them. I'M
less he tells them what appropriations he
proposes shall be cut down, or abandoned
altogether. The Rev. Sam Jones says he
can run the state on one half of what il
now costs to run it. Everybody knows
what he means. He means that he would
shut up the public schools. He would use
the money which now goes to the schools
for other purposes, and hence he could
cut down the tax rate very greatly but
the people would not consent to have the
public schools abandoned. Therefore Mr..
Sam Jones couldn't be elected Governor
on an anti-free school platform.
The only sure way to lower the rate of
taxation is to increase the taxable wealth
of the state. How this can be done is i'll
Illustrated by what has taken place in r.
win county-the county in which thous-
ands Of Northern settlers have found
homes within the last few years. In 1895
the tax returns of that county amounted
to $l,SO554l. In 1896 they were $2,OS7, 1876
an increase of $731, 1854 in one year.
What has been done in Irwin county can
be done I'm other counties of the state.
We have splendid resources here in
Georgia. All our energies should be en-
ployed in developing them. We need cap
ital and immigrants TO help us-particular-
ly immigrants, such immigrants as come
i from the Northwest. Why not make still
greater efforts than we are making to get
them? There Is no good reason why our
vacant lands should not be occupied. our
mines opened and our water power util-
lied.