The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-22
.,.r PROPOSED TAX BILL.

srsL began to be formed the
:, taxation has been the most So
.roblem with which society has had
,ootsnd. Every civilized nation has at
..,a or other experienced convul-
.css,oped by an overtaxed populace
.,.vor,pg to secure a more equitable
.,u,,ou OF the burdens OF taxation.
r,s,cb revolution Of 1883. one OF the
.,.. conflicts recorded in the annals
s,.,orv was rebellion against the inn
.,aor Of unjust taxes. Had our mother
.,,v not attempted to enforce upon her
a system OF taxation oppressive
~ Axtreme. the revolution OF 1775
ssya been averted and England to-
ouo - hsen the mistress of the world.
We .Sperience OF all peoples demon
I've ,hat 10 devise scheme OF taxa
H, will secure and preserve tho
vu .ouilibrium among all branches OF
lsps and apply justly and indlscrimi-
- eli sections of a country OF d.
t,s,s interests is a matter which chal-
". Inc highest capabilities OF states
eDss ~ calls for the most unselfish judg
D ANY meaure looking to a read
nsns ~ the laws of taxation must be
ssrsster and carried out with the ut
-, oonscientousness and deliberate con-
ulssr.tioo. and not By reckless revolu-
s,s,is,s bidding for notoriety, however
sassfouable its character
s,,housb the subject OF taxation Is one
xhch iron FIRST to last tires everybody
.,h . wilderness OF statistics, frigid
.,n,s and debatable proble'ms.' yet its
: so,sd.ration is one of the duties imposed
|hy citizenship which no patriot should
ssat "a avoid. The people OF Texas are
ror called upon to discharge this i'm
lror,snt duty, and it remains 10 b., sean
rhsrs thew will be derelict. The Twenty
sirth legislature having concluded thar
n, existing tax laws needed to be revised,
anpointed commission, the personnel oil
which is Governor Joseph d. sayers,
como,roler r. w Finley, Revenue Agent
To- iee Jameson and Senator o. B. Col
ouu to inquire into the subject and
make such recommendations as they might
believe would meet the demands OF the
hour. The results Of the commissions In
ystieations have been embodied in a
ri, 10 be presented to special session OF
The legislature to convene the latter part
~ thIs month To the revolutionary ele-
ment ever crying turn over everytning'
the measure will appeal most strongly, for
Il certainly proposes the most rahicai
remedies" to be found outside or an az
solute confscation of private property.
The bill which has been prepared Is as
long as the proverbial moral law, ana
ior The benefit OF those persons VINO nave
paitber the time nor the inclination to
Il NJ r.
mjnable length. we desire to point out
some Of its most important features ana
ths disastrous effects which such law
would have on the general prosperity OF
our State and people.
In the arst place the commission in
formulating the bill assumes an erroneous
ana uutenable "oasing point" in starting
out By reducing the tax on laud, the one
class Of property which the experiences OF
all government has proven should rightly
near the burdens OF taxation, and trans
ierrng It to personal property, the fruits
d industry and intelligence. The con-
sructors of the bill 10 their evident be-
lsf that any Improbable revenue would
accrue from such source, show an amaST
Ing disregard OF the fundamental princi-
ples long since established by the science
Of political economy John Stuart MIL.
John Fiske, Thomas G. Shearman and
other eminent authorities, while they diner
on many points. agree with one accord thar
tax on personal property is not only
unnatural and unjust, but practically I'M
4 possible OF collection save from the pure
al heart. II is so easy for a man to con-
Il ceal his personal property and undervalue
bis income that the temptation 70 10 50
l. seldom resisted, and the corruptine In
a5ence Of such a tax offsets thousand
times the benefits to be derived. On the
other hand, land is always in evidence
and It's value Is ascertainahlc. The amount
Of revenue resulting from tax on per-
lcnal property would be so variable and
unreliable as to make 1t injudicious 70
consider II factor in making appropria-
Hons to meet current expenses To depend
on the income from this direction to meet
any Of our obligations would from time tt
time result in the most embarrassing de-
hchncies 10 our treasury.
By far the most dangerous feature OF the
new bill Is the fact that 1t would encour-
eye land monopoly. Although the TAI
commission would have the public believe
vas their intention in reconstructins
lne law TO encourage every citizen to
oSr home" they have in fact 1--WE viii
uol say Intentionally played right intc
Iae hands OF the land shark, and would In
aucs exactly the opposite coalition of ar
mrs from that which they profess to de-
sue The law as proposed reduces the tai
ou and approximately so per cent. and
sniils the weight principally to personal
i'operIy, The large land syndicates which
Aa'c sobbled up millions of acres OF oui
PUBIC domain. and who usually have M
vsaer taxable property In the State. viii
'aus be enabled to hold these vast tract:
y and for speculative purposes, whit
NuFiouting practically nothing TO tn
rpr'nues OF the State. If these syndicate
,,s'e compelled TO pay a reasonable tax or
XIV s property, they would not find theiI
-smess 50 profitable aud would he wilkins
s,,u dispose OF their land at fair market
a,, us 70 settler or others who would h'
~ 700 siad to pay the tax thereon fol
M privilege OF developing the soil. Lane
,susopoues should be forced to contribute
n. ~s revenue OF a country In proportion L
Va,ent they retard it's industrial prog
q Is estimated, and on good author.
i, at Of least 25000,oo0 acres Of Land
M ss are now controlled by syndcateI
,i,,, aeio for purely speculative purposes; |
H.. c9ncern owns soOo,0N0 acres In on,
,is,s !. y IS only the simplest OF proposi
,slrna 'ua' so long az this land eau he re
i, "a unhroken tracts with little o
osase to the owners. II will not b
rlns .or sale at anything like its rea
trn,, sag every year that II is withheld
hor- sFuement. robs the government o
al .ss OF dollars and hinders the gen
80 SHncement Of the masses. " Their
itr,t. 10 the Union that needs Il