The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-04-16
Recommends That Inquiry BE
Continued and License Revi-
sion Board bolished.
Fifteen CONCERNS EXAMINED
Suggests That Increased Realty
Values Be Brought to Notice
of Board of Equalization and
Rentals Investigated.

! The report Of the Tax Investigating
! submitted yesterday at the final meeting
Of that body. with the recommendation
| that the investigation be continued at ths
| next session The report was adopted.
! This committee was appointed by Speak
! er Gazzolo ON October 90 last, to examine
the books oe merchants and n,anufactur.
| ers. to ascertain whether the city was re-
! ceiving Just tax returns
! No names were mentioned In the report
! except that o: J. H. Comrades. Jr, mem
! ber of the ]. H Comrades Chair and Par
! lor Furniture Company. who refused tc
, appear TO show his books for the irspec-
/ tion of the committee. The Comrades case
| is now awaiting adjustment before the
/ Supreme Court. which meets In banc on
! April -, when "a decision will he handed
down in the habeas corpus proceedings
of Comrades vs. the House Of Delega tes
which may result In the remanding OF
( Comrades TO the custody OF the sergeant
at arms of the House. that body having
/ cited him for contempt.
Incorporated in the report was a recon-
mendation that the Board Of License Re-
vision be abolished The reason given Is
that the time the body can legally act
Is TOO short properly to supervise and to
correct license returns. The report de-
ciares that the committee has heard many
complaints against increased rentals, some
instances brought to its notice having ex-
ceeded 80 per cent The scope of the reso-
luton under which the committee acted
tine report says. does not allow 1t to in
vesdgate these complaints. but it recon-
mendS that the enhanced values In real
estate be brought 10 the notice of the
session
The sist OF the report follows:
your committee made an exhaustive inquiry
amounted to $40 2sil5l The The amount on which
license tax was collected was s35. Is2 Al In
the amount on which license tax e was ei Collected
In eight cases Of completed examination Of
amounting to N54i.1sa tie actual actual value sis'e Of
In nine cases completed examinations OF ;ooIs
and machinery. show taxes paid to the License
ssesr;slned T to Be- ss;sos4 actual value was
.o,d In nine esses taxes were PAID on other per
value on, Of this personal PsopeT,y vas sssiss
Ths aaa to 81 fs M fos 'ssCn
hand at date of assessment owned by twelve
able 70 obtain Information on this Tars Q; the
property other than tools. machinery, raw ma
teriaia and finished products OF manufacturers
and merchandise OF merchants. in 1902 aEEre-
raised in 1903 to s1s per 500 Of value. The
rate OF Si.i3 will probably be exceeied In 1914
Tho tax rate on merchants and manufacturer
returns has remained at 20 cents per slcO ever
since 1872. No part Of the c,ty's increased taxa
tion. therefore. has been borne by the rner-
chants or manufacturers.
If 1t should be decided to continue this ir,yes-
tEation during the next session Of the House
wn advise that the eypediency and Justice of
increasing tfis rate Of taxation be fully con-
sdered. even II Investigation results in securing
Just. fiill and true returns OF value to the / l.
censc Collector.
We have compiled the following statement for
the purposes OF showing the comparative shares
OF taxes assessed against the principal lines OF
business for the years 1872. 1885 and 1904: Ner-
chants and anutGcturers.i9c2. s.5l.sI.: 1903.
siT2. 4i9' 1904. 1881 ss! Bunks and trust com.
nanesiH2, s3sS $50; 1893, S5ss, H. 1861 s5sI 42g
Drum shops-lso:. sl-00Isss: 1903. sl.E5.se7: 1874,
sl.2,S. 5Sl.
Your committee believes that a more extensive
inquiry into the sources Of the cty's revenue
should be made during the next session Of the
House. and recommends the appointment OF a
special committee with adequate power for thar
purpose. and that proper provision be made for
the payment Of the expense thereof
We are sure that the city's revenue will there
ny be greatly increased even II change be
made IN existing laws ordinances.