The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-12-23
They are heavily Taxed in Other
ways-One Member talks
to Reporter.
LIVELY FIGHT IN PROSPECT


from paying license to do business
in Paducah. They do not take any
stock in the theory that these big con.
Germs are able to pay a license, while
many doctors, lawyers and others who
may barely be making . living. can
i'll afford to pay and yet have to, while
their more fortunate friends in bust
ness on large scale, are released.
The idea in imposing taxes and IL
censes lie to exact from various people
and concerns . fair quota Of the ex.
penses incident to the operation Of q
city government. Doctors, lawyers
and many others can come to CITY
and do an enormous business, such -
the s25, 900 practice Of lawyer with
out paying anything more than poll
tax. Certainly It 10 argued by men,
bers Of the Com merical club o doctor
or an attorney doing Thousands Of dol
lars worth Of business in Paduoah and
paying possibly only poll tax should
contribute something more than dol
lar or two towards the government and
their license is to provide il.
Manufacturers however, have plants
that are adapted to nothing except
their own particular business and on
which they pay hundreds Of dollars 9
year in state, county and city taxes,
and in addition In franchises taxes.
Their investment is large. One con-
Germ here that was exempted for Ave
years from city taxes, is paying ooun-
ty and state taxes ON sl04, 900 and in
another year or two will have to paw
city taxes on about the same. All
other manufacturers are doing like
wise. They in addition employ hun
dreds of men, and keep in circulation
in the city thousands of dollars The
Commercial club thinks these men do
enough towards maintaining the gov
eminent They pay enormous taxes,
while the poor doctor, lawyer and 9TH
ers who seem to have aroused the pity
of some of the members of the boards
may pay nothing except q poll tax and
q license, and yet at the end Of the
year have more money than the manu-
facturer can show after paying his eI.
penses.
Another thing is that the manufac-
turer often has and pays big taxes on
property that he could not sell for
fourth of its value should he have to
Quit business, unless he could sell il to
some one in the same business.
~ know OF one building in town."
said member of the Commercial club
this morning. that cost its owner
$25, 900 because it is adapted to his
kind of business exclusively. II he
had to sell 1t tomorrow he couldn't
get $4,000 for IL unless some one
bought it to use it for what he is u.s.
ing it. This is the case in many in.
stances.
Now our object In having these
manufacturers exempt from paying .
tax is first that we think they already
contribute enough towards maintain
ing government without being charged
license, and already do enough for
the community at large in making it
possible for hundreds Of persons to
earn living. Other cities do not
charge manufacturer a license. You
can't cite a single city that makes
them pay license except Paducah. and
as other cities do not do it, we fail to
see why Paducah should do 1t.
Another point Is that manufactur-
ers who want to locate here do not like
to fluid such a spirit prevailing against
enterprise. They realize that to require
q license is q sort of sword of Damooles
that hangs constantly over them.
1t may be fifty dollars year this year
and 81, 900 year next year. There is
no limit to il. We think to exempt
the manufacturers would be good
move. 1t would be only just to those
already here, and would aid material
ly in getting Others to come here, and
it would not reduce the revenue Of the
city but few hundred dollars ayear. "
Alderman Singleton has committed
himself against the exemption, and
says he will fight the ordinance when
the new board takes its seat. The
Commercial club will also prepare. II
seems likely, to hold up its end Of IT,
discussion. ~
u. IA. - -. a. ~.