The Irish standard., 1906-08-11

they have. given little attention anG
study to the intricate questions con-
nected with taxation. Our sister state,
wisconsin, stands among the most
progressive OF the states in this re-
spect, and its people are determined
that their system, which is compara>
lively good, shall become better. Ev-
cry state campaign there involves
some proposed change in the tax sys.
tenn. The Minnesota constitution so
hampers and restricts our legislature
that we have been unable to take any
step in advance in the matter of as
sessing, levying and collecting taxes.
The result is that we have a system
OF assessing that makes each county
and even each political division in the
several counties constantly attempt to
escape its just and fair proportion o.
state taxes and shift the burden upon
some other locality. 1t is needless to
say that this system which allows one
county or one section of the state tt.
escape its fair and just proportion OF
taxation also enable one individual tn
it upon his neighbour.
| The storm of protest which Mr.. Mi
nors attempt has aroused in this COM
munity ought To turn peoples atten-
|
Of the whole trouble. Th, people of
Minnesota have had at least one chance
to vote upon a constitutional amend-
ment which would allow the legislature
to make some ctrectual change. Either
| because voters knew so little about
taxation or because they thought that
SO few voted upon this question that
the proposed amendment failed We
| think that Il few more sustained eff
forts such as our assessor has made
will produce good results. 1t ought to
be plain to all that a system of taxa
| ton which provides for taxes which
can he conveniently lodged is a poor
| system. 1t encourages perjury and
| promotes inequality in the matter Of
| taxation. 1t ought to be an easy mat
ter in Il state like Minnesota to raise
sufficient revenue for state purposes
| without depending upon the work Of
| local assessors. If sufficient revenue
| We're raised from taxes upon foreign
corporations doing business within the
state and from railroads. telegraph and
express companies and other such
| agencies. as is done in some states.
of local assessors and county boards
| returning small valua atoms in order TO
escape their just share of the state
tax. The inequality resulting from this
cause is Very great and it is become
| ing more and more so as the cities Of
the state grow in size Our State Board
of Equalization. which is appointed
from judicial districts without respect
| to the population or valuation of the
different sections of the state, only adds
| to the evil that is perpetuated in the
first instance by local assessors. The
contest in the first instance is to re-
turn as low valuations as possible and
developes before the State Board of
Equalization into IL contest between
| the cities and the country.
| 1t would be hard to imagine u sys-
TEN better calculated to promote i'll
justice and equality in taxation. When
our system is considered in respect to
the different classes of personal props
erty asseSsable it is even worse BY tax
ing personal property such as house,
hold goods which rich and poor alike
must possess and from which it is
impossible to escape because that
| tempting to assess securities such AZ
mortg cages. notes, stocks and other evil
dences of Indebtedness which it is all
ways possible to conceal and which
are possessed by the rich alone, an easy
method is provided by which the rich
may escape taxation on the greater
portion of their property. while there
is no possible avenue of escape for the
poor. The direct result of the system
is that the small householder and small
business man pays. far more taxes in
proportion than his rich neighbor who
owns valuable securities.
The attempt which Mr.. Minor has
been making to reach concealed prop-
erty by arbitrary assessments has re-
suited in an increased amount of per.
jury and evasion on the part of those
so assessed \ tax on property that
can rarely be uncovered should never
be attempted for it is only the unfOr-
tunate and the extremely conscientious
that pay such a tax 1t is. of course,
easier to criticise a system of taxation
than to formulate one. Perfection in
taxation is impossible. When taxation
was first instituted taxes We're collect
ed only against those who were too
weak to defend themselves against the
extOrtiOn. In q certain degree that Is
still true. But it ought to be an easy
matter for the state of Minnesota to
be at least abreast Of the times in this
important matter. Instead of having
one of the poorest codes. if not the