The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-17
M
3 & | y az, d great friend 70 ~ public
Il ar,1usements, for they Keep peocple: !
from Nce, ;1i;s Pr. 1o y ' r'ss on.
The Tax Problem.

IlfS.At the recent tax assessors convention
Nh Dallas. Mr.. Paul Afocrscheidt, tax COL
lact ~ Of Bexar county, submitted plan
which he claims to be "slmple plain ana ma
mot complicated" 1t Is as follows: Il Il
Do away with the assessment ana q
khollection OF state taxes oltogetlier. Icy
SEnll taxes q be collected by the cou =
4 only. and let the Legislature, When tn ~,
inject every two years, apsolut ~ 81,
u law the amount each county, IN tho Sta lt
kahoid pay to the State comp role r, q
3lfreasurer n for the purpose Of meetlln Ills
Estate expenses during that TINS, AZ,
j,enuitablo and Just way Of determining %
i nxinp no d cunt that each county sho ulu
nav ~ it's pro rata Of tho expenses 9.
tcnrrying on our State government sllou
J not be difficult to arrive at After you
II scartnin tho amount Of infancy needed
~ our State government during the COM
ling year the Legislature may take the
whole taxable values In the stat !5s} 81 q
kTexas according to- the last tax rolls re- g.
kceiyed and ascertain what per &c NJ. OF
this amount will have to DO levied Or
tIcahulated to meet such annual expenses
| and whatever this per cen t. am cunts 70,
.Ecalculnted on the amount Of the atlxaple
values of each county In the STA e, Evil W.
4 f,a the amount chargonblo to such county
| ~ the comptroller. and It would be the
EI,,ty Of the commiss oners' court Of eac ~
lcounty to SEQ to 4 that such amon y ~ IL
I renitted annually or semi ANNUALLY HI TO
ftho State treasurer, ssi
1T Is conceded thnt this plan would . be
Hn tho interest of economy and would
be on improvement n many re spects on on
the present system, but y Is not 50 clear,
says the Houston Post, that y Woula
remove the injustice which makes tho
present system 50 odious II the Leg
Aisature DO charged with the duty OF des = 4
/. ignating what each county shall pay
Ii saws the Post, u what assurance can we
a have that the burdens would be ,eaulttaf-
" bly, distributed? Mr., Meerscheidt sug-
& gests that the last tax rolls be used as
Il a basis upon which to compute each
county's dues. Accordingly, tho county!
4 that has been assessing Its property a
+ fifteen per cent. OF its value will escape
81 Its share OF the State burden, while The
ttjcounty that has been assessed at Gsoyenty-
*)nvo per cont will DO unjustly bled. as mt
present" 4
j This comment is quoted to show that
nhe Inequalities complained Of In Fir-s
\ginia exist also in Texas. But It seems
to US that under Mr., Meerscheidt's plan
Nhese Inequalities may in great part be
memoycd. II, In adopting the plan. the
state should create board OF apporr:-
/ tionment and equalization such board
could ascertain tho market value OF prop
S)erty in the several countles and cities
Z, . Vi , 49,. "a. @ .
Pf the State and nd. 7 make the appocrtiitoEn-
4 tment nccordingly, regardless Of the local
Gssessment. The plan Is well worth con-
5)slderlng In Virginia and in every other
state where there Is a uniform State
rate. but there are as many bases Of
assessment as there arc counties.