Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-13

having a local habitat IN the state.
Car trust and car equipment companies
are required TO pay a property tax on
their cars. according TO the proportion OF
mileage over which cars are operated in
this state. bears to the total mileage OPP
Grated.
Electric roads are assessed like steam
railroads.
A speciaI franchise tax Is also imposed
on all special franchises, and these are
defined to be any grant OF the right Of
eminent domain or the grant Of any right.
by the state. or any county or municip-
ality, TO use. or enjoy any property OF
right belonging TO the public. such as the
use OF a street. public highway or alley.
by any electric road. telegraph or tele-
phone company, or by any water, gas,
electric lighting or power company, or
by any toll road or toll bridge company.
The grant OF the right to lay pipes.
wires construction. under or above
streets. highways. alleys, etc, is a special
franchise. and declared 10 be subject to
taxation by the state, counties and NUM-
cipalties. The value OF all special fran
chises," is to be returned by each corpo-
ration, and finally assessed by the state
board.
Insurance companies are required to
pay an annual occupation or privilege
tax OF two per cent on their gross prem
Uses. A supposedly effective plan of get
ting at invisible personal property such
as money. notes. accounts. bonds, stocks
and mortgages is proposed.
Every corporation issuing bonds is re-
ouired 10 make return of the amount and
as far as known, where and by whom
held. to the state board, and their board
supplies this information to the county
boards.
49, ...o,,-.- "a othar v,,o,a,, a.
mands and evidences of debt are to be
listed by the taxpayers and the aggregate
amount is to be returned to the tax re-
ceiver, who without reading the list is to
stamp the same as returned for taxation
and return 10 the owner. No note or orig
tnal demand for indebtedness is compe-
tent evidence in any suit for the collec-
ton thereof, unless the same is exhibited
TO the court and shown 10 be on the list
as returned for taxation
Banks are required to return the value
OF their shares OF stock and the residence
OF the owners, and such shares are as
sessed at their market value to the own
ers Banks are not required to return
their notes, stocks and bonds, and are
not assessed thereon.
Mr.. Gambler believes that there are
! other and many and large tax dodgers
than corpofations and railroads. His
idea Is to adopt a system which will COM
pei every species of property to bear its
fair and proportionate share of the bur
dens OF taxation and of the government
whose protection is extended to all alike.
He says OF his bill:
Human nature is too weak and selfish
for this object to be attained by any
sytsem of voluntary returns, collected by
elective officers.
Tax officers must be near enough to
the people 10 feel their responsibility to
them, and far enough not to feel the in
iuence OF selfish and unpatriotic interests.
Hence the adoption OF the legislative
4 commission ideas OF a combination of the
voluntary returns and the assessment sys-
| TEN, as provided for in this bill. in al
F.! lowing the old way Of returns by the tax
payer 10 the tax receivers, and the final
revision and assessment, IL necessary, by
the county and state boards.
1.-THE present laws are defective and In
| adequate to reach invisible personal prop
| erty. The comptroller general for years
has called attention TO this fact a-d has
estimated that over one hundred millions
OF dollars Of property of this class escapes
| taxation.
'The present system of securing fair re-
/ turns OF railroad properties.is so radically
defective as to be wholly inadequate and
the comptroller general is virtually pow
erless TO enforce fair returns.
i joyed by various public utility corpora
| lions in this state are immensely valua-
BILE. They have never been taxed. They
are yearly growing in value. They are
/ subject to taxation I'm every state in the
Union having a modern taxing system.
The methods of arriving at their correct
valuations IS different in different states
| The bill simply declares they shall be
taxed and empowers the state board to
4 adopt such methods as are best suited to
arrive at their correct values, leaving the
/ details to the state board.
'It has long been contended by the
/ comptroller general that real estate
lands and town and city homes bear more
than their share of tax burdens. Some
counties, aided by municipal assessment
| laws, like Fulton, Chatham, Richmond
and others, bear relatively more than
their share of taxation on real estate and
| such inequalities as this. between coun-
ties and sections. as well as inequalities
between individuals can be corrected by
this state board. The bin is now before the
committee of ways and means. -