The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-18
THE TAX PROBLEM.

THE TAN BhOBlE4Ms
The legislative committee which Is try
ing TO frame a bin to increase the rev.
enue of the state, has a very difficult task
to perform. If report is correct the ma
iority of its members believe that there
are many millions of dollars in securities
which escape taxation altogether ana that
If this hidden wealth can be reached the
tax problem viii be solved. They viii
find that they are very much mistaken.
The probabilities are that however strin-
gent a law may be enacted the tax re
ceivers win get very jitue more personal
property than is now returned to them In
decd il is doubtful if there is a very great
deal more than is returned for taxation
that could be caught by any drag net the
legislature can devise Those who intend
TO hide their securities can find some way
to do so, and those who can't make a re
turn satisfactory to their cousciences with
out disclosing the volume of their property
viii simply remove from the state.
The system Of taxation in this state IS
wholly wrong Not only is real estate
taxed at It's fun market value, but securi-
ties based on real estate are taxed at their
face value. Real estate therefore is dou-
bic taxed. The railroads are taxed nv
the state by the counties through which
they pass and by the towns in which they
have their terminals Their bonds, in the
hands of their holders, are taxed for city
county and state purposes. In other words
the railroads are double taxed. IT is the
extraordinary burden of taxation which
causes people to evade taxation to as great
extent as possible and the system that
is being pursued by the law making power
is calculated TO lessen the ability of tax
payers TO meet the demand upon them for
taxes, because high taxes depress values,
kill business and smother Industries Be
fore putting out drag-net tax law the
legislature should go courageously TO work
| 10 reduce expenditures For years it has
been increasing appropriations without
giving the peop.e anything additional for
| their money, except somewhat better pub
! lie schools.
| But some member of the Legislature may
say that the appropriations are now as
small as the states interests win
| permit Are they? What for in
| stance Is the neeU OF a session
OF the legislature every year? Every
| sensible man knows that en the
| laws the people need could be enacted al
| a biennial session Of forty days. Biennial
| sessions would save the people a big 10,
of money And there is the pension mat
| teri 1t was shown at the last session of
the legislature that thousands and tens
| Of thousands of dollars were being paid
! to persons who were wen able to earn
! their own support-that many of the pen
| sioners were in receipt of incomes far
| greater than the incomes of the
majority of those WHO are taxed
to pay pensions, That the pension
| law has been greatly abused there isn't
a shadow of a doubt, and yet there doesn't
seem to be courage enough in the legisla-
ture to take measures to prevent the
abuses.
| There are other ways in which the an.
preparations could be considerably reduced
Let the legislature study out ways fol
the more economical administration of tn,
| government and then there will not b,
need for such drastic tax legislation as i,
proposed. Too many politicians think the
state owes them a living. Let rigid econ.
omy be introduced and a tax law basec
on common sense be enacted and the state
viii not be in trouble continually aboui
| its revenue
.