The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-07-04
TAX LAWS or STATES
OTHER THAN OHIO
ARE IRRITATING.

Taxation, properly laid. is q health
full irritant. It is improperly laid
when 1t does not irritste. This salu-
tary reaction occurs only when It is
so laid that the person paying has to
go down into his pocket and bring
forth the amount of the levy. Hence
the term, the pocket nerve" With
some temperaments this nerve is so
sensitive that the slightest touch pro-
duces nervous prostration. But these
are abnormal and few. Usually they
suffer from undigested investments In
dirt In the normal citizens the touch
OF the tax ON the pocket nerve awak-
ems his interest in the various public
matters for financing which taxes are
laid. The knowledge of this interest
operates as a check on the bodies
legislative, big and little, that create
the taxes.
When there is general discomfort
with taxation 1t simply indicates that
something Is wrong in the system or
or in its administration. And there
is general discomfort Even here in
Sioux City the real estate association
gives evidence OF 1t by discussing It
The ferret" method is denounced
and defended. and the tax for the sup.
port Of schools is said to be too great
by some and too small by others.
Elsewhere there is larger evidence Jf
discomfort. We do not now include
the tariff We have in mind only that
taxation which is a healthful irritant;
that which is directly laid upon prop
erty and Is paid directly by its
owners
A legislative commission composed
Of members of the Massachusetts gen.
eral court, as they call their legisla.
ture, has just submitted a Voluminous
report of the results of It's investiga-
tions and conclusions. In substance
1t thinks the system needs only lit.
tie patching and mending. California's
commission has just sent to the legts-
lature its final report following a pre-
liminary report published last year
and sent out as "feeler" to see Il
public sentiment would support the
rather radical conclusions at which 1t
limited. It's substance is that the state
should get it's revenues by indirect
taxation and leave each taxing CON-
munity free to select such objects for
taxation as it might select. 1t aban-
dons in despair all plans to reach and
tax all forms of personality, and its
logic, if not its distinct declaration, Is
to quit trying to tax any of 1t.
Minnesota amended its constitution
so as to leave the legislature free to
select such kinds Of property for tax
alton as it deemed best, and the leg
islature Is puzzled to know just what
to do with its new and responsible
freedom. To aid 1t there has been
formed state tax league, which will
organize local leagues over the state
In which taxation will be studied and
debated. Lawson Purdy of New York,
who organized the tax league OF that
state, was at the meeting in which
the league was organized ana address,
ed it. The amendment Of the consti-
tuition was the result of an agitation,
begun some eight years ago and re.
suited in the creation of a tax COM
mission, which reported to the legis-
lature in 1902. The California CON-
missions report Is remarkably sim
liar to that of the Minnesota commits
sion in the conclusions reached and
recommendations made.
All of which indicates discomfort
not with taxation, but with systems
and methods and administration; a
growing belief that existing systems
and methods have not made good and
that other systems must be tried
Sioux City Ua) Tribune.