The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-05

roy,ie rule IN taA"hoh HcnnS ihe CIV
! the people OF any municipality,
4, a city. town or county, the priv
n deciding for themselves how the
~ be contributed by them for the
s.or, Of governments shall be raised.
.,o,o.es to allow the people of any
u ,owp or county. with reference es
..,.us 10 taxation for local matters, the
-s, under certain limitations, to decide
wh,t way the burden Of taxation shall
horne BY them. and whether or not it
II, he SO applied as in their opinion in
4. last degree to cripple business, dis
,a,,.re enterprise. and drive away cap
&, The right to make this decision may
y limited to tsxpaying voters. as is the
- n New Zealand; and thus safe
sr,rasd against an oppressive applica-
IN Il Is difficult to see why it should
=, command the support of all who are
,rsarned upon the subject.
Tome rule in taxation is no longer q
~. theory. 1t Is now in practical opera
~, n AT least two OF the Australian colo
~ New South Wales and New Zea
Ina and there, experience has already
demonstrated in its favor all that its
rnnds could ask. My information on
M. point is largely derived from vol
.minous report to the department Of state
~ The United States consul to New Yea
Ind Mr.. John Connerly entitled Land
TsIstlon and Labor Laws in New Zea-
land II is to be regretted that our legis
niofs and tax commissioners have so
M shown no disposition TO give the peo-
ii, n Texas the benefit of tax legislation
now universally admitted, even by fny-
i mer bitter opponents. to be the controll-
ipr cause of unparalleled prosperity In
New zeaand-a prosperity unaffected by
ne world wide panic of 1893. To the
Australian colonies we are indebted for
the Australian ballot and the Torrens'
system Of registration of land titles, al
! ready In force in Canada and British
1 North America. and now being rapidly
atopted in the various States in this
urion They have also shown us the
practical workings OF government owner
I ship Of railroads and all public utilities
and TO thea We shall doubtless soon be
u Indebted for the example Of scientific
4 and therefore satisfactory system of gen
ual taxation They are of our own race
and tongue, and their forms of govern
msnt are substantially similar TO ours
Knowledge of the progress made by them
toward the solution OF the vexed problem
Of taxation must be OF incalculable benefit
10 US, and In this connection it is inter-
esting to note the fact that the legisla-
iure Of the state of Colorado recently APP
pointed commission for the sole purpose
Of visiting New Zealand and reporting
Upon its system of taxation-that commits
sion Is in New Zealand today, studying
the question. | repeat, therefore that
I home rule in taxation is not a mere scho-
lastic theory; it is an established fact
In one OF the most enlightened and pro-
gressiye communities in the world. and
hence for this reason also, additional i'm :
| porance may we'll be attached to the
subject
The way in which people are taxed is
q ar more Importance than the amour, t
o. the wax for the burden of taxation d5ss
nt dtpend so much upon its weight as
upon It's adjustment. The laborer can
Easily carry a load of nifty or hundred
pounds Upon his back, bat II ii is strapped
his stomach, he will soon sink from e.
aaustlon. So il taxes are 50 levied as TO
amount. in an excessive degree, to a line
upon industry. enterprise and thrift as
100 often the case, improvement hats,
capital becomes inert or flies away to mora
promising fields for investment, labor is
unemployed, and stagnation and decay en-
sae 10 discourage the use of long coats,
reter the Great taxed them. and then
ropie quit wearing long coast; to discour
courage the growth of boards, he taxed
mem also, and boards soon disappeared.
- some countries even TO this day, win
uoNs are taxed, and in consequence thou
anos Of families live as best they may In
.p'ss without windows. Imagine how
.ne burden of such tax falls with crush
rs rs weight on the health and energy of
apvrers The khedive of Egypt many
.wrs ago taxed olive trees, and in conse-
ysenee not only were no more olive
swes planted. but many olive trees
~ actually cut down. A man in Illi-
s owned fine stallion which was the
r'ae OF the town in which he lived, and
was valued at $4,000. The tax asses
~. proceeding on the plan of the tax
rM..anlss'on bill, assessed 1t for $4,000.
~ owner promptly shipped the horse
10y. mus depriving that community of
~ use OF one of the very things which
aeeaed. Farmers want fine stock i'm
s'."d INTO their neighborhoods. Now. is
800 thing to stir up the tax asses
ahd SET him on to the owners OF such
~. AVA and fne them for bringing it into
s wuntry? II a majority of the tax
4
nutihs local political subdivision,
ssat to exempt stock. among things
ssasu for the prosperity OF the place,
| ~ 1 tne burden OF local taxation. why
~. 'et tnem do it? Some ten years ago,
ns.,s. neio an official position in con
~ y. with the city government OF Hous-
49, we southern Pacific company on the
psoh OF the removal of it's shops from
rs..aourg, seemed to be in doubt as to
pass.uer It would build railroad shops al
os.oh or enlarge it's plant at New
49,. TO secure the location of this
IA enterprise, a promise was made on
~. part OF the city officials to the effec
In assessment OF the plant for taxa
Nv. should be accepted at compare
n.,,s nominal valuation, and my infor-
IVA Is that this agreement has been
A Up 70 In good faith to this very day.
IL, 10 result, the ward in which that plant
is,,as@ has more than doubled in popu-
IN. largely on account OF the fact
a., enterprise alone supports hum
No. u families, and land owners have
ise.. iecouped many fold for the slight
prae,iste, Ia their taxes resulting from the
enih,s exemption OF the improvements
her pant from taxation. | might show
i, many enterprises have been locatei
NJ, ,vuston by this method. Now, why
an lhe taxpaying citizens of Houston
ssc.Ny what they have attempted to
esnp,ish by an illegal method 1t IL
ns,ashy admitted that the location OF 9
| arr ss plant in any community IL
u, ~ ming for It, and especially for
Ruh,,s"u OF land in that community.
sillinu spirited land owners are often
10 me- 70 90 into their pockets and put
,os aey as bonus TO secure the loca'
souIs sueh enterprises. Others who