Morris tribune., 1906-11-03

never be surrendered, susp=nned " Gu,
upon the same class of subjects, anu
| shall be levied and collected for pubic
| purposes. but public burrying ground1s'
public school houses, public. hospitals
Il u learning, ali churches
! Co.. : perty, and houses Oh Worship;
/ institutions of purely pubic cEarlty, dIu
| public property used exclusively Tot any
! public purpose, shall be exempt from laA-
alton, and there may be exempted from from
! taxa ton personal property not eNceeolns
| in value $500 for each household, lndl"
| vidual or head Of FANNY, as me ut
lature may determine: PROVIDED, G,aai
the legislature may autnorlIg ~ ssa e.
corporations to levy and collect assess
ments for local Improvements upon pIoP,
! er-y benefited thereby without fesaiq ~
cash valuation; and, proHided tr.i''J he
! that nothing herein contained sh@l pG
| construed TO affect, modify Or ESSEgi
any existing law providing f3r me Ia Ak y
| ticn OF the gross earnings OF rdllfoa"7'
! qhe puruose and effect of tnis
| amendment would be to greatly en-
| large the power of the leg Az i'e
with reference 10 the soDjec' "
| taxation. Section one Cd as A no"
stands provides that all taxes 'Ha-
posed shall be eGuGl-as near as na"S
be-On all forms OF property, an" @Ah
prOperty upon which tax As hS'-
posed is required to have "a assn
VALUATION eQualiZed thrcush0"'
| the state.
Section two as it now stan"s re-
uuires the legislature to levy '"o
necessary taxes annuahy I" ~
the expenses of the state. Eaat As
the duty of the Legislature ~he"""'
any constitutional direction
Section three 1t now stah"S p
vi4~s that all, real ana Pers s'rn@r
property. including MON > ~ 80,
ITS and INVESTMENTS IN boND7
AND STOCKS, shall be assessed at
cOrdinS to their true
money.
Section four as it now STANDS pro
vides that property empi"ve"
| banking shall be subject TO '"N
equal to that imposed on ot
property. This is only repetition
OF the requirements Of sectAoHs Oh
and three. as no ratAonai sr
would claim that banking caPAtf'
should be exempt from taxa Aom'
Section seventeen as 1T NOW sfahns
is not easy to unEerstRna' D"t - wa"
intended by that section 10 renew
from the operation OF sectl"nS
and three, above quoted, properly
of the classes therein enumerated,
SO that "a gross earnings tax con''s
be anDlied thereto instead Oh 0Afeca
taxation.
Owing to the provisions OF sec
t;ons ONE and three of the present
Constitution many anne IA AA0 A'S
were from time to time ad0eu SO as
IN hermit taxes to be imp0sen ON
snecific kinds of property Other-
wise than upon cash valuation
euualized throughout the state. we
have among these exceptions EHh~
road gross earnings taxes; munfcA-
nal frontage taxes; ihherAlaice
taxes; and the gross earnings taxes
a
teen.
Several exemptions from taxathoh
are also provided for. but rs these
exemptions are mot changed Dy tne
Droposed amendment, L Will mak
no further reference to them"
The amendment which. ii adopted
would take the place OF All Oh the
sections and amendments above re-
ferred to. is simple and plain NO
provision OF the Constitution il
necessary T. aathOriZe the Inn
position OF thr taxes necessary Tor
the support OF the state ana us
various political Subdivisions fne
power OF taxation il istAeFent an
government. 'rhi~ proposed amend
,oepf declares fnRt this annefeht
power OF taxation shall never De
surrepeiered, suspended or con-
tractea away; that taxes shall ne
imposed fOG public purposes ANA
shall be wniSDr1n on the same ci'S -
OF subjects. Sh9uia f-la3 .elEE%&H
ment be adopted All property OF
every kind I'm the state wolad be
subject to taxation, according to
the method the Legislature s&" MT
TO adopt. provided only that the
tax WAS levied for public purpose
and was uniform ON the same Ella -
OF subjects. Under this amendment
every tax law we now have On the
na4h6
valid because under this amend
ment all Limitations ON the power
of the legislature would toe taken
away.
The adoption of this amendment
would. as indicated. repeal the So
called inhe ritance tax amendment,
and the grOss-earninSs tax amend
ment adopted ina 1896 as contained
i'm said section seventeen, but i'm
their place this amendment w0Uld
give the Legislature greater author
ity. Under this amendment the
power to impose inheritance taxes
would be unlimited, and any form
of gross earnings tax would be
valid The gross earnings tax on
railroads would mot be affected by
this amendment, as the Constitution
provides that it can not be changed
without u vote Oft the people. But
with this amendment various new
forms Of taxation cOHf0 ne imposed,
notably am income tax and n regis-
try tax on mortgages. Under the
present Constitution we can impose
no tax o7n mortgages owned by nom
residents. A registry tax, which
would be valid under this amend
r,.esat. would reach all mortgages
alike. While all subjects OF taxa
tiOm are required to have cash
valuation with the tax equa1iXed
throughout the state, mo- proper in
Come tax could be imposed. Such Il
tax. if imposed, should be pro-
sressive, which would be valid
under this anne ndmemt.
SECOND PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
The second proposed amendment is
contained in Chapter 212 OF the
Laws of 1908. 1t is sought by this
amendment to repeal Section 16 of
Article . of the Constitution, which
is as follows
Section Is. For the purpose of lending
aid in the. construction and Improvement
of public highways and bridges, there is
hereby created a fund to be known as