The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-10-17
How Pennsylvania
Raises It's Taxes

TNERN HOME owner In pennsylva-
= uiH has Il vital nterc>, IN the APP
| L. preaching election 1t Is not only II
| question of Democrat or Republic
| cam of pattisun or PennNpHckrr. but 1t is
| n matter of dollars and cents to every
OWnc OF II foot OF land IN the common
| wealth. II was the Democratic party
| that plunged the state into It debt OF
| SionOu.UN that has required forty years ut
| Republican rule to lift. Republicans
| should not forget this. And yet. in spite
of this fact. the Republican svstcnt uf
| state finances has been the subject of
| the most persistent attacks from its
| enemies. Democratic leaders. when they
| aSsall the Republican financial system IN
| Pennsylvania know that they are dcih-
| utat"lN miSrcprrsrntinp the facts, I'm
! fortunately. the public at large does not
seem to hay" very clear idea of the
| method by which state taN"s are assessed
| and collected.
| Under the wise and b"neiicrut l"gisla
| ti"n OF the Republican party in tn" past
| thirtN-liV- Years. the burdens of state
| taxation nave been lifted from tn" >houl-
| ders Of the individual aud placed upon
| the corporations of the state. An inn
| preston prevails among the propl" that
| they are taxed tor all tn" appropriations
| made to the public schools, charitable in
| prns"s the new capitol, etc. etc, AS tn
! matter of fact. our citizens pay no state
tax cNr"pt a liquor license tax. ANA one
mill On the dollar where they own per-
s"na securities, such as bonds mort
cages, etc. the iaA on the sam" being
four mills. three uf which ar. returned
To III. respective counties. Money for all
expenses Of the state comes from the
corporations.
In direct contrast to this. has been the
attitude of the Democratic party ana its
legislation. l!efore the Republican party
cam" into power, all real estate. ucrupa-
tiuns over 500 per ,Innum. cattle. etc.
wcr" taxed by the Democratic party in
tim- of peace; and even with This cnor-
nous tax burden IL left II debit of over
tlot.O,hH in lN;o to be provided for and
lifted by the Republican party. And the
Republican party has redeemed TN" credit
of TIA" state: it stands today befor" the
world free from debt.
The manner in which the various col
l~ctors of taxes of the commonwealth
have their bills aud receipts printed is
largely responsible for the misappr"h"n-
sion thai exists In the minds of the prn-
pie upon this question of state tnNalion.
in almost every instance. instead of hay
ing Il separate item fu, stat" taxes. to
be- used whrr" the person has money at 1
interest subject to taxation. and not
otherwise. almost all bills tina, are sent
out by tn" tax collectors have on" item
entitled state and County Tan" Oppo-
site this head is placed th;. amount Of
the county TAX. aud the person receiving
the bin is naturally under the impression
that tn, amount charged represents n
combination of stat" and county taxes.
and il questioned upon this point the an
SWer Is always the production of u lax 4
r""tin showing tn. payment Of u certain
sum ~ money under tn" head Of state
and County Tan. The tHNes paid /" the
various local collectors. .under the d"SS-
nation state. and County Tan" go
directly INTO the county treasury for the
exclusive use of The county authorities.
ih. constant aim Of Republican lrgi>la-
ti"n has been to relieve the Individual
taxpayer Prior to lH>3 the INDECENT in
>an= in the asNumS of the state wer.
wholly supported by thu various. local
Municipalities This was a burden upon
the Individual taxpayer. AS the stat.
debt was reduced nul"r the iudiriouS
management ii was believed that the
commonwealth could afford To assist the
counties in the support and maintenance
OF thril unfortunate poor. ny The act
Of June 18th. 1889. the expense of the cane
and treatment Of the insane poor Of the
state Was equally divided hetw""n the
state nnd the several counties. The
amount paid by the STATE since, l>E,. I'M
der this act. amounts I" SIo,j.5.ooo, more
than SGIn"p annually.
just as the burden Of taxation has been
lifted to The shoulders OF the state to that
extent huv- the townships cities and
counties hrcn aided and nvrrbur,l-ncd
real estate owners assisted. In the two
Items % INDECENT insane aud public
schools, the STAT" pays "ut of its treas
ury nearly sS,uoo,0uu year. 10 that rX-
tent every hom--ownrr IN The common
wealth i correspondence brnrttt"d
l,N the Etkrllllt' ACT June Ntn. l>ll
lhrrc-irurth of til" p,rSoilul uroucrty
tax Is returned To the respective counties.
The amount returned for the year end
Ing November :Mth. lSHi. al the close OF
ia" Democratic administration, was ST.
'rl.Dia. ~ Th~ amount uf personal tax
returned l." IN" several counties for the
year ending NuNrmb-r a0th lSp' was s.
57., 80.
Under the act of Junr Hlh. 1891. the
Liquor licenses w"r" taken from tn" state
and given to the different localities. This
MAS an additional hrnrtit ln the taNpHy"r
he"uu.r prior 10 that all liquor licenses
has been paid into Ia" state treasury.
They amount to about 2.,SD, ,,Hn annually
In addition /" all lhrS" things, the stat"
pays IN" entire cost nf the judiciary
which amounts I" upwards of hulf mil
lion annually
rh" following is II partial list uf the
am"un paid "ut of the treasury Of the
stat" for Tn" h"urll nf the different
localities ana municipalities:
Am"un, paid annually, since lNS3.
f"r Tia" INDECENT inSan" ,.,,..,..S G5S, U00
Amount paid annually for com
mon schools ........,...,.........'7 7.uli. 20
Amount ni personal taN returned 2,i79 G7h
Liquor licenses dis rrl"u from the
stat" IL the local lr"uSlrirs.... 1000 200
Amount paid To support the Judi
rIally, annually .,,....,,........ G5a. .GH2
-----
'Fhr amount paid annually by
the stat" for local PURPOSES, l., Saa Ni7
Animal saving uu account Of the
exemption from taxation of
real estate, hul-rS uud cattle,
nnd trades, occupations and
professions ....,....... ,........., 7.0nJ.UU0
Total annual saving Ia the re-
sprvliVc localities annually,
sine" the Republicans assumed
control of the state affairs. $lH >!tt U51 /
l'iur 10 the passage of the act of lS>5 |
the whole amount of mon"y"d capital rr-
turned for the purpose of state taxation |
Was but HliIwH.rUO IN that year. even
under the imperfect working of the act |
the amount returned FOR taxation Was |
S'hi,wDOtl am increase of S2'D.n00.O Own Ac-
c"rding to IN" auditor generals report of |
1871. Nh" amount of the four mill tax ON /
personal property amounted To S256i.- /
%"O2 and Of This TAX thcr" was returned !
To The several counties S2.l79 GI5l2
These facts and figures speak for them |
selves, Ts"y arr, are more impressive than
stratinG what the Republican party has |
done IN tn" Way of lifting the burden ~
stat" thNation from the shoulders Of the I
l,.I