The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-24

deposits ID the NatlOntl panhs aiSHN -
State amounted to s3s,426 1880 on pc
cember IL. 1897. and s3q. S92, OT3.5O on Feb
ruary IS, 1895, and si2, $50 .92S.63 on De-
cember / 1898. without considering those
in private institutions Of like character, y
can not De reasonably supposed that there
was in the entire State on January ], 1888,
all told, only si4125. 724-belng an actual
decrease OF sl3s,s60 from that rendered IN
1890. II other evidence were wanting 10
completely overthrow the presumption
that the rendition Of money 10 1873 wax
correct, an appeal might be confidently
taken TO the daily press during that year
in whose columns were to be found many
advertisements by loan agencies sueh as
this. "a large amount OF money on hanh
TO take up and extend payment OF purchase
money notes on farming lands at the low
est rates of interest prevailing. TO say
nothing OF numberless published oHers
from individuals to lend, upon safe secur-
ity limited amounts Of money ranging
fiom $1,000 to $4,000. Were more required
to be said upon this particular subject, al
fusion might be made 10 the tax rolls OF
two Il the richest and most prosperous
and ropulous counties in the State--in one
OF which not one dollar beyond that owned
by banks, bankers, brokers and stock job
bers. was listed for taxation. and in the
other but $500,
( AS to the assessment OF merchandise III
1898 to the extent OF S31, 666,a30, being an
increase only OF s2,3i45 37 over that Of
I 1890. nothing further needs be said than
( that during that year the insurance in this
State upon such character of property Gov
cred more than s7S,0OO,0OO.
! To more strongly emphasize the iinme-
4 diate and pressing necessity OF q thorough
/ revision of the present system OF taxation,
| | beg 10 invite the most serious attention
I OF the legislature to the following table,
which shows the revenue aecrung to the
State through the ad valorem tax OF IS
cents on the 500 for general and school
purposes, according to assessed valuation.
FOR the year ending August 81. 1895:
Land ......... ,bUl ,4si VI
Town and city lots ......... 706,562 %
Live stock ............,..... $50, l6S 30
Carriages wagons and other
vehicles go. ....... go. $3.50 As
/ Goods and merchandise ...... l20.33l SO
Material and manufactured
articles. manufacturers tools
! and implements, engines and
] boilers 49,. 49,. ....... 40 ,792 SO
Money on hand -. -. ..... 1851 Il
Credits ...... ...... ...... 50.6ll 80
Bonds and stocks other than
! United States bonds ....... 4,022 SO
( panies 80. ............. s,4eo 81
Property OF corporations other
/ than above ...... -. -. sos 25
Miscellaneous property zee. f01 6lS IS
Railroads leverage per mile
S26.46) ...... ...... ...... 2S9,120 81
erage per mile S33Sj 800. sO.2ol 60
street railroads ..... .... .... 2,s09 40
Telegraph lines .,.. .... .,... AN 70
Steam, sailing and other yes
sells ..... ....... ....... -. ,62s II
/ Iotal ...... ..,.... ...s.., ~, 24I SOB Al
Deducting SiI5 6O1S2 as erroneous and
delinquent Assessments there remained as
revenue for the support OF the Stale gov
eminent and the public schools through
an ad valorem taxation % IS cents on the
SleQ, the sum Of S.S31, 945.59 of which
more than throe-fourths WAS paid by real
estate.
For the further support of the state
government and the public schools sl74,-
3aii7 was paid through the cpmptrollers
and treasury departments-tha is TO say
by
Insurance con ponies 500. -. $100,G13 CT
Telephone companies $50. -. 2,4S5 70
Palace car companies -. -. 3.Se2 %
Express companies e.. &c.. -. IL 1913 81
Railroad passenger tax (aver-
age Per mile S5lS) ....... 47,0o4 81
Telegraph companies -. -. 1886 81
Commercial agencies ..... 49,. $50 90
Stage coaches o.. -. .,..... SO 81
One hundred and eleven thousand three
hundred and two cellars and sixty.eix
cents was paid for similar purpose
lhrough the state department MS follows
Franchise taxes ...... -. -, ISL 1876 -
Fees for filing charters ...., 21,542 50
Court reports and books ...... 6SG4 81
Certified copies OF records .. SAL 90
Commissions TO officers. less
postage ...,.. ...,... ....... ga IS
From the occupation tax anon liquor
aud beer dealers the revenue derived was
S646,l50, from that ON merchants, Si5a,-
OS3.25, and from that on all others, SllS.-
1918 From the railways was procured
the sum total Of S3lG, 1854. or $3407 for
every mile Of main track. 1t cannot but
be observed that Of the revenue accrulng
to the treasury through the sources named
and aggregating $A,059, 3iGS 50. that paid
by real estate alone amounted to So ,20S,-
06O,6l, or to more than one-half. and that
paid by real estate and dealers in LIQUORS
and beers combined to S2S54. 2lO.61. or 10
nearly three-fourths of the entire amount
The gravity of the question becomes the
more serious when IL is considered that
for the support OF the county and munich
pal governments the burden on land is
made much weghtier than for State pur-
poses-the average tax rate thereon, State
and county, being % cents on the 500.
In cities aud towns the average rate for
municipal purposes is SO cents making the
total average on city and town lois
$lS2 on the hundred dollars, or nearly .
per cent Of their value. Let him who
can, successfully defend The present svs-
tenn OF taxation
These facts speak for themselves and
prove beyond all controversy the ere,t
need for better and a iuster plan Of
taxation than the one row in force.
Prior to the late civil war the pulaic
revenue was principally derived from a
general property or ad valorem tax, sun
plemeuted by very moderate tax on &C.
equations, The system was therefore
simple Corporations We're then but few
IN number and were almost exclusively
Of sem-public character Our peonie
were generally employed in avrloultnre
and the administration OF government was
inexpensive Since then a great change
mas taken place. Cities aud towns have
multiplied and grown rapidly. CONNER.
cial aud Industrial life has assumed other
forms, and the transaction OF business
through corporate agency is becoming
general
Our present constitution prepared tho
way Tor the easy charter OF cornnra