Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-02-12
And Municipal Reform Should Go
Hand In Hand.
There Should be No Waste of the Peoples
Money by Incompetent Men.
Mr. c. Barber Said Some Things In His Address That Every
tEn Akron Taxpayer Will Endorse.

for the support of the government were
derived from an income tax.
The single tax question has been
ably discussed by the late Henry
George, who worked out very plaus-
lille theory, that all taxation, should
be upon land, as that was the basis of
all income, and without which no in
come could be derived. Gentlemen, he
only goes one step better In your ar
gument for an income tax, SO to speak,
he has the ground floor on the question.
1t would seem, however, that the tax
question should be less complicated,
as also should be the expenditures de-
rived from taxation. And this reminds
me of discussion had by this club ON
Municipal Reform, at its last meeting,
in which the club took great interest,
as it properly should. Municipal re-
form and tax reform should go hand
in hand. If your taxes are wasted by
incompetent men, eXpending the mon,
ey derived from taxation, it would re-
better to not collect the taxes at all.
1t strikes me, however, that Munich
pal reform or regeneration, must come
from the quickening of the interest
of the public in these matters. And
if this club can aid such a result, it
will not have been organized in vain.
Without depreciating the talent of
your City Councilmen and Commits
sioners, l am inclined to the opinion
that the men selected by the city to
manage so large tax duplicate as you
have in the City OF Akron, are not us
ually we'll selected ON account of their
ability for such work. 1t is pretty good
evidence of mans ability in financial
matters, that he, himself, has some fin
ancial standing, or has accumulated a
sufficient amount of money to give him
a financial responsibility. / dare say,
that the joint taxes of the Councilmen
and Commissioners of the city Of Ak
ron, would not aggregate 5000. There
fore, does it not look ridiculous that
the question of expert leyying and dis,
tributing so large an amount of money
as is collected in Akron, by taxation,
should be left to men who have so
little financial interest in the matter
themselves?
AS l stated before, l do not mean by
this suggestion, to depreciate the tai.
ent or ability of any of the City Coun-
Gil or City Commissioners in their own
respective lines of business, but l do
not, as one. care to choose that sort of
men to manage my financial business.
1 am prompted to this conclusion from
the heavy tax we pay, and the little
benefit we get from 1t.
During the last summer while they
We're laying the pavement on Market
street, / took considerable interest in
watching the work. For incompetency
of city management, never saw its
equal 1t sometimes occurs that incom,
potency may be justly construed into
dishonesty. An examination of the
pavement in several places between
High street and the railroad bridge
can be made, aud if l am wrong, I
will pay all the expenses OF the ex-
animation. While the bed was being
prepared for the pavement, in many
places noticed they We're using dirt
or soil instead of sand or gravel, to
cover over the Stag, and in no place
that saw, was the quantityof Stag
used that was called for in the ordi
nance. think this is the third time
we have absolutely been wrouged on
Market street, by paving contractors
aud If OH Market street, the same may
be applied to other streets-but ask
your pardon for ibis diversion
The complexity of our tax system
arises from the complexity of our sys
, TEN of government. We have nation
al, state, county and municipal forms
of government. all of whlch call fol