The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1906-03-22

a complaint that the owners OF Ger
tain classes Of property are not pay
ing their fair share or taxes. Before
these bills are given serious consid
Grafton, those who seek relief from
taxation through a demand that yalu
ations be increased on others prop
erty should be required to show that
their own property Is assessed for
taxation iat its full and true value in
money. II this be not done, and their
demand be granted, II Will result in
enabling them to escape a still larger
share OF taxation than they are now
lodging by means OF their own under.
valuations.
BY the terms OF the law, the owner
OF any property that Is assessed at
less than its true value in money es;
capes the payment OF his fair share
OF taxes by means OF such underyalu'
alton In the light OF this fact, the
most pertinent question OF the day is:
Why have you found It impossible,
during cenAiry of experience, to de-
wise rules and methods for making
poses of taxation, and to secure pub
lie officials with sufficient honesty,
intelligence and courage to make all
valuations as required by your state
constitution?
The answer TO this question will
not be found in the incompetency OF
members OF the General Assembly,
Ia,
competency or dishonesty OF public
officials whose duty 1t is to enforce
the laws and to correct the valua.
tions placed by owners upon their
property listed for taxation. 1t will
be found in the instinct Of self-presN
eryation. deep-seated in human ma.
ture, which makes all men kin. Every
taxpayer knows that il he values his
own property. at its true value in
money he will have to pay more than
his fair share OF taxes because other
taxpayers do not so value their prop
erty. He also knows that he can not
so list his property and pay the uni
form rate upon such valuation with.
out having his business destroyed. For
these reasons underyaluatlon begins
with the taxpayer 1t is confirmed by
the boards of ASSESSORS, who seek to
dodge y share OF county and state
taxes for their respective districts by
holding down aggregate valuations.
Fundamental Cause Of differentiation.
The cause OF an evil must be under
stood or the remedy devised for It's
cure will not be effective The error
In taxation legislation OF attempting
to secure the listing OF all property.
the assessing OF all property listed at
its true value In money, and the levy
ing OF tax upon such value at uni.
rate springs from the superficial as
sumption that failure TO list property
and the differentiation OF the prop
erty listed is wholly due TO selfish
ness and dishonesty.
The cause of these evils is more
forceful than mere desire TO dodge
the payment OF fair share OF taxes.
The course taken is compelled by the
injustice OF the laws requiring the
listing of all property, the valuation
Of all property at its true value in
money and the assessment of taxes at
uniform rate upon such valuation.
Secretion and undervauation are the
only weapons OF defense a taxpayer
can use to protect his business from
spoilation that would inevitably re-
suit from partial enforcement of
such laws
a rtt Ekafn -E L.
Cause Of Greatest Inequality
and Injustice.
Every intelligent taxpayer knows
what would happen to him II the laws
should be strictly enforced as to his
property and not to the property Of
all others,
/. His idle money earns no In
come A tax upon its value, at the
average rate for the state, would con-
fscate 2.S4 per cent OF its total
amount.
2. Depositors in savings banks;
interest,drawing depo its In CONNER
cial banks; lenders OF money on com
merclal paper. on mortgages or on
bonds OF corporations, would, have, in
some caEes all, and in all cases about
one.half OF their income Cat present
interest ratss) taken from them.
3. Building and loan associations
would be taxed on the true value OF
the mortgages they hold and thus suf
fer a cOnfiscation OF one.half OF their
Income.
4. Investors would be taxed ON the
market value OF all stocks OF private
owned by them. Mer-
chants, bankers and manufacturers
would be taxed on all amounts due to
Lhem on account OF their business
Farmeres would be taxed on the
true value OF their farms; their un-
sold products; the money they re.
ieiyed for all products sold. II on
hand: On the true value OF any eyi.
iences OF debt held by them II their
money was loaned out; ON any per.
lonal property they may have; on
property covered by any mortgage
hey may have given.
The enforcement OF such conditions
ipon one taxpayer, or one class OF
axpayeres. and not upon all others.
'an have but one result-the destruc-
Ion OF the business OF those tax
'Gyers whose property is fully listed,
ully valued and fully taxed, while
property OF the other taxpayers Is not
A careful examination OF this state
nent should convince you that the
f.4 4.