The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-16
!. na,.o and goods in transit on railroads

cband,se and goods in transit on railroads
an which no tax is paid. Foreign cotton
buvers make II practice also 10 carry
onen polIcies with foreign companies
which have no permit to do business In the
State and which pay no tax on what 'ney
write here. All this is unfair to the com
panies that pay their taxes. as well As
unjust to the state and all persons tskins
Insurance from companies operating as
above stated should be treated "a agents
OF said companies and required to pay the
prescribed tax on the policies they carry.
IL this were done, instead OF colioctlng
800. 900 per year fire insurance TAX, the
state would get 100000 from this source.
With regard to taxes paid by corpora
lions the following extract from ex-
Revenue Agent Colquitts report covers mo
question In a few words: -
,.yyh.n compared to other states all kinds
of CORPORATIONS in Texas pay but q por'ion
Of wha. they should be required 10 pny ~ ~. .s
form OF taxes. They are ersasu ,n,.pi. for for
their full value in stock IL the Corporations
doing business In Texas and subject 70 taAn,
ton were required by law. to pay taxes Va
the pur value OF their stock. as they A..
anircd to do in some other STAGES. notapiy
In pernsyl,ania. whether chartered by tnis
State or any other State or na.ion. inc.uui ~,
crease OF taxable values as would MAKE ,ne
rate of taxation so low a. 70 % a Inner ths
amended law permitting the formation of mer-
cartile corporations. this class OF CORPORATIONS
will soon be Increased to large NUMBER III
this State The induccment Of limited ia.
blities and such like dement's VIII, ar'r'' and
result In many such CORPORATIONS being
formed These and all others should be taxed
alike, the par value Of their s STOCK, cor.
porations Is almost disregar1ed. They are
reouirld TO pay franchise tax. which they
nil do the war they are incorporated. put
most OF them lapse and neglect. fali or re-
fuse 70 raw II thereafter No provision seems
TO have been made to enforcs the payment OF
this tax beyond the fear Of forfeiture OF
charter Out OF S456 charter grants to DO
standing, the others. numbering b25s. having
been forfeited because OF the non-payment OF
their franchise tax. And vet. most OF these
corporations continue to do business 40 cor
porations and sue and are sued In the courts
without their charter rights ever being Dues
toned. This law ought to be amended i 80 as
to require the secretary of state to furnish
list OF all corporations to the state reVenue
agent and make it his duty to see that each
and every CORPORATION owing iranenis s;a Tax
this way. be increased under existing law
something like $4,000 per annum"
~
Another source of loss of revenue to
the State Is the practice OF chartering So
called social clubs majority OF which
are nothing but saloons In disguise. Armed
with a Federal liconss these concerns do
business in competition with regular
liquor deals without paying cent State
tax Liquor should not be disposed of in
any form for consumption by the drink
without the payment of a license and the
plea that social clubs are not organized
for profit and therefore. should not pay
tax, is too thin to arrest the attention
OF any right minded person for minute.