The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-02-20
THE GREAT TAX pR0BL EN-.

At time when the subject OF taxation
engages so large a share of the attention
OF Legislators and the public generally.
says Bradstreets. some OF the facts
brought out in the annual report OF the
New York State Board OF Tax Commits
sioners to the legislature will prove Of
more than ordinary interest The great
salient fact brought into prominence by
the rport is the escape of personally
from taxation-a fact, not, indeed. new.
but one which will bear reinstatement un-
der the conditions Of today. 1t is pointed
out that. although the law has ever COM
templated uniform treatment ofrealand
personal estate. the practical results have
not exhibited an approximate ton to such
uniformity. The permission TO deduct in
debtedness from the value of the person
al estate has always diminished the true
proportions upon the tax rolls. Other ave-
nues of escape for pensoralty have been
found, such as creation of temporary in
debtedness. varying residences, compacts
with manufacturers whereby plant loca-
tions are permitted TO control assessors
pencils and threats to shift principal
places of business OF corporations. SO
great has been the degree of success
that 70 per cent, of personal property is
The disproportion between the amount
Of real and Of personal property paying
state and local taxes appears to be stead
lily growing This will be made pls by
statistics showing comparisons over "a
number OF years. which are printed at the
END OF the annual report OF the tax com
missioners. For example, the assessed Yaiu-
anon or real property, paying state ana
local taxes In 1870 was $i7123 40 and the
assessed valuation of personal property
paying similar taxes was Sl2l, ,44., $50 In
a. a. "A
real estate WAS somewhat over four times
that OF the personal property Their rela-
tion WAS sharply disturbed about the
years 1873 ana 1874, In which latter year
the real property valuation vas not far
from six times that OF the personal es-
tate. the assessed valuation OF real estate
being s. los. 32b, ,Si2 and that OF personal
property S35;. .9il .s0l The disproportion
has grown since then, but not always
with steadiness until In the year 1899 tha
real estate was assessed at Si,sll Ok. .0Os
ans the personal properly at s6ie. 100, ,6'S,
or In other words. the real estate was as
sessed AZ not far from seven and a half
times the value OF the personal property.
similar story Is told by the figures
showing the percentage OF state taxes
paid by real estate and personal property
respectively. For example. the percent-
age OF state taxes paid bY real estate IN
1867 was 5i-6i per cent, while that paid by
personal property was = 80 per cent. The
years 1884, AMI iSSa In the former year
real estate paid S006 per cent. OF the
state taxes anu personal property SN per
cent, and IN the latter year the propor-
ttons were 90Oi per cent, ana a.R per
cent respectively. Since the iast-ncn-
toned year there has been slight in-
crease In the proportion paid by personal
property, 50 that in the year 1900 the pro-
portion paid by real estate was Nl0 per
cent and that paid by personal property
it.91 per cent. ~ the same time. the re.
lafons which existed in 1867 have never
been regaincd and At present N NAV be
said that personal property pays less than
half the prUportiouatc share OF state
taxes which n did three decades and a
half ago. ~ fact which should give food
for reflection 20 the legislators who are
20 reCast the states system of taxation.