The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-11-05

class of our people who have only hiou-
crate means, and possess only tangiDIe
property.
TAXING FRANCHISES.
Every corporation doing business IN
this State under a franchise granted py
the State should be taxed according 10
the value of the franchise. The prop
erty of railroad ought to be taxed ac-
cording to the full value of its bonds
upon which it is paying a fair interest
annually, and not simply upon its road
bed and rolling stock Again, corpora
tons are in the habit of deducting their
Indebtedness from the gross value OF
their property and paying taxes on the
difference. Farmers often owe as mucn
as their lands are worth, but they are
taxed the same as those who own lands
and owe no money. There should be no
distinction made in the interest of any
class or classes. all should be made to
bear their nro rata part of the burden
alike, according to the amount of prop
erty owned and assessed at its fair
value. There should be an amendment to
our present tax laws by which the own
ers of intangible property could be forced
its fair market value 1t is said that
one insurance company has claimed to
have insured more merchandise in the
cities of Augusta and Savannah, than the
total value of all the merchandise re-
turned for taxation throughout the en-
tire State. What we need most then
along this line is TO so amend the tax
laws as to reach all classes of intangible
property, pass a law taxing the valuable
franchises of all corporations doing bust
ness in this State and endeavor to make
an equitable distribution of the burdens
of taxation between all classes.
OBJECT OF TAXATION.
The sole object of taxation is to raise
money to sustain the civil and military
branches of the State government, to
educate the children of the State. and
provide for the care of the INDECENT and
invalid Confederate soldiers and their
widows. The civil and military depart
ments are maintained primarily for the
purpose of guaranteeing every citizen
safety in the possession of his property
and the lives of himself and family.
The man or corporation then that owns
property, in the protection of which he
could invoke the strong arm of the courts.
should be willing to pay his taxes. If
not paid the protection of the courts
should be denied. If notes were void in
court, unless it could be shown that they
had been properly returned for taxation,
that class of intangible property would
greatly increase on our tax digests within
the next twelve months.
CURTAILING GOVERNMENT EX-
PENSES.
The members of the general assembly
at times lose sight of their duties to the
people in the management of the States
affairs. There are times when certain
officers and departments are created,
when there exists no absolute necessity
for them. We are at this time burdened
with a few that are needless, offices
which are filled by the payments of pO-
litical debts and the people have to stand
an increased taxation to pay the salaries
of these needless office holders. 1t is
gratifying to note that the present Gen
eral Assembly of Georgia is preparing
to sharpen up the pruning knives, which
foreshadows a general curtailment all
along the line. The members of the
House have already done good thing
in cutting down the size of the visiting
committees to three, which will break
up many annual junketing trips over the
State by large committees visiting the
State institutions and thereby saving
several thousand dollars to the taXpay-
ers. If the good work already started
can be kept up, and cuts made wherever
needed, the present session will have
served the people faithfully, and the
people may forgive the last two SEES
sions for spending so many thousands of
dollars discussing the depot" problem
and accomplishing nothing thereby.
"A new broom sweeps clean" and the
present House and Senate being made
up almost entirely of new members, we
may expect many radical changes which
will doubtless be for the best interests
of the people at large.