The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-01-04
TAXATION REPORT
Governor Harris Commission Has
Message For Legislature.
REVENUES ARE DISCUSSED
Representative Bense on Local option
Observation-Disclosures for
... State Offices.

Columbus. - Especial Correspond.
ence) The Tax Commission of Ohio
has completed its report to Governor
Harris, and the governor will transmit
1t to the legislature early In its ses.
sion.
One thing that stands out promi.
nently in the report is the recommen.
dation for the enactment Of an inherit
ance tax Although the. states reve-
nues are more than enough now to pay
expenses, the governor is taking time
BY the forelock and wants to have
some tax scheme that will fill up a
hole If revenues derived from the Dow
tax are reduced because of the pas.
sage Of a county local option law.
II was because of this situation that
the Tax Commission recommends the
enactment Of an inheritance tax law.
Such law wiu not bring in money
enough to make up for the losses sus-
tained by the passage of county local
option bill. but it will be starter.
The Tax Commission may recon-
mend the extension Of the Nichols law
to all corporations. Now only tele-
graph. telephone and express compa.
nies pay taxes under the Nichols law
Its extension to all corporations Of
will raiaa hnWl-fnr nnhnItr
pays taxes without growl-and when
this charge of the state is raised there
Ia more than a growl. IL the Nichols
law is extended to all corporations it
will be in anticipation Of a heavy de-
crease in tax revenues caused by the
enactment Of county local option
law. The extension would include
manufacturing aud mercantile corpo.
rations as well as public service cor
porations; and of course these inter-
ests will fight such proposition.
The friends of county local option
bill are afraid of just this angle in the
situation; they are fearful that dis
cussion Of state finances in connection
with the local option bill will initiate
against the success of the latter, and
in this they are accredited with being
most sagacious. There is but little
doubt that many manufacturers, mer
chants and public service corporations
would take an active stand against
the local option proposition II they
knew that the passage Of such law
me-nt an increase Of taxes. That Is
what the opponents of the measure are
trying to show.
Whatever may be the attitude of the
Anti-Saloon league or the brewery in
terests on the revenue proposition, 1t
is true that the Tax Commission has
considered the question and recon-.
! mend an inheritance tax and an ex-
tension Of the Nichols law in the event
that the states revenues are cut down
ih any other way.
Governor Harris is not overly mod.
| est right now about letting his opin-
ions be known as to the length Of the
! coming session Of the general assem-
/ bly,. He favors q short session. He Is
afraid that the big surplus in the state
treasury-now more than seven mil.
come extravagant and for that reason
he wants them to get away early.
Intimation that bill decreeing Ohio
q prohibition state and second bill
forbidding the sale OF whisky within
the commonwealth, but permitting the
vending of beer under the option OF
towns and districts as provided in the
Dow, Aiken, Beall and Jones laws, will
be introduced in the coming session OF
the Ohio legislature, has been voiced
by Representative Howard w. Pears
o. Lima, says the Toledo Blade.
Discussion OF the first measure, 1t is
said, has extended so far that a pro
gram for submitting prohibition bill
with referendum clause whereby q
vote of the state might be obtained
has been tentatively decided on
OF the second bill 1t is argued that
a law barring whisky from the state
but permitting the sale Of beer anc
lighter liquors, would do away will
the clamor against strong drink an(
leave to the liberal element its bever
ages
The intimation that such bills wer
IN process of preparation was con
tained in an interview In which Mr.
Pears declared the passage of th'
Rose county option bill was not nearll
SO assured as public utterances Of lat
would indicate.
IL have met number OF senators
and members of the lower house. too
who have been reported as supporter
of Senator Roses bill, who tell mi
they are not pledged In any way and
indeed, have not made up their mind
III the matter" said Mr.. Pears.
Mr.. Pears went on to say that tn
financial consideration involved will
play big part In the Legislature
pointing to the loss In revenae whiol
would follow the closing Of many SO
looms. as would be the result under TIN
Rose BILL II enacted into law.
He then spoke of the possibility
limiting that II was more than possl
hility. OF state prohibition and stat
whisky-barring bills being introduced
He would not discuss the matter q
length. leaving It to question fron
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