The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-07
POsTroNEMENT OF THE TAX bill.

| DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE TAX BILL
! The reason given for abandoning the tax
! bill and asking the Governor 10 submit il
to the next Legislature is that there is not
time enough for It's considera lion by this
Legislature. While il is true that there
are only few more days left Of this, the
second, s. ion, the fact will hardly be
overlooked that the bill was ready for
consideration when the session began.
The biz had been prepared by commis-
sion appointed at the first session. II il
were at all satisfactory TO a majority Of
the members it would seem as if it would
have been taken up as soon as the ses-
sion began, and being a most important
measure, would have had continuous and
earnest attention until it Was disposed or.
That little or nothing was done with it.
and that it was finally disposed of by
asking the Governor 10 submit il to the
next Legislature, jusudes, it seems TO US,
the presumption that there was another.
and perhaps a stronger reason why 10
progress was made with it than that there
was not time 10 give it the consideration
to which its Importance emitted il.
In looking for that reason assuming
tGat enc exists. the hostility 10 ate ana
county boards Of ass ssors, man ed
by many Of he members. is likely
to arrest attention. We are not prepared
10 say that those who showed this hos
tilty are from counties which draw more
out Of the treasury for pensions and
schools than they pay into it, but it woud
not be surprising if they were. More than
a hundred of the one hundred and thirty
seven counties get more out of the treas
ury than they pay into it. They practi-t
cally control the financial legislation of
the state, or can do 50 if they are so dis
posel Many of tie people of shese coun-
ties have an idea that tax-dodglng prevails
to an enormous extent In the Weather
counties-those which really support the
state government. Therefore they have no
objection to any tax measure that would
impose heavier taxes IN the richer coun-
ties, but they are against any system of
taxation that would lend to increase their
own tax burdens.
The bill which the tax commission pre-
pared. and which has been turned down.
would undoubtedly have resulted In rails
ing assessments in very many, if not all
of those counties which are now practical
ly drag on the treasury II 1t had become
a law. It is said, We cannot say how
truthfully, that assessments in a very
large number of these counties are ride
ulously low-far below the market value
of property. Assessment boards would
have changed all this. Where assessments
by county boards were too low the state
board would have raised them, and thus
there would have been something like
equal assessments throughout the state.
If we have stated the real reason for
the failure of the tax bill, will the bill re-
ceive favorable consideration from the
next legislature or any subsequent one?
1t is hardly probable. The postponement
of the bill was practically the final dispo-
siton of it. 1t may be heard Of again,
but it win not give any uneasiness TO
those who are opposed to it.
Now that we are not to have any new
tax law, will not the Legislature have to
exercise great economy in appropriations?
1t has provided that the rate of taxation
shall not be above 5 mills, and it has in
creased the amount to be given to pension
ers. 1t is plain, therefore. that either
there win have to be a big cut in appropri-
atoms or else additional property for tax
alton will have to be found It is not
likely that much more property will be re-
turned for taxation.