The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-09-08
TAX COMMISSION REPORT
Continuation Of Report Submitted 4
Gov. Proctor.

Following ID COnllnuhlloh VI ehO
report OF the commission on double
taxation:
The state OF Ohio has made desper-
ate efforts to reach this class OF prop
erty by adopting the same principle Of
taxation thereof that so far has obtain
ed In this state, and its law on this
subject appears to be as ingenious and
drastic as can be devised. Among
other things, 1t provides for the en-
ployment Of persons TO detect proper
ty illegally omitted, and the payment
to them of commission ON the
amount Of taxes collected through in
formation thus furnished and heavy
penalties are provided against the Of
Tending taxpayers. The operation of
this law is well stated in the report OF
1.-THE last Massachusetts commission.
Members of the present commits.
sion have recently visited Columbus,
and have had opportunities TO talk
with representative citizens In many
walks of life and with the highest Of
ficials of the state. To all Inquiries
about taxation of personal property In
Ohio the uniform reply was: We are a
state of liars and perjurers. Our law
lcompels us to make a return OF our
personal property and to pay a tax
ranging from to per cent upon the
full cash value No man can or will
pay such an exhorbitant tax and the
result is that practically every man de.
Tended himself from spoliation and
confscation by perjuring his soul. You
cannot oyerstate the situation. No
words can do justice to the iniquities
of our present system.
The estates Of widows and orphans
may pay half of their income; a few
over conscientious citizens may pay
a corresponding proportion of theirs;
but the general result Is the owner of
money. credits securities either leaves
the state or makes a false return to
the assessor. Our present system is a
school of dishonesty and perjury
In this connection we insert table
taken from page 81 Of the same re
port.
Table showing the assessed value of
Intangible property in Ohio.
1SS1-Money, s40,600,000; credits.
S101 100000; securities, $500, 900; to-
tai, $15O,30O,OOO.
1S93--Money. S41.6OOOOO; credits,
$111. 100000; securities, $780, 900; to.
tai. 1852 100000.
l9O6-Money, $4,000. 900: credits,
S77 100000; securities, slO,SOO, 900; to-
tai. $l47,9O0,OOO
] Nha,, a. &c onnoidorad thot .to.o o4o
tistics show an actual falling off OF
about two and one-half millions OF
dollars in the assessed value of money
credits and securities in Ohio in the
twenty-five years preceding 1906. It
would seem that the above criticisms
are unwarranted
We do not adopt the theory urged
by many that II is better-t to exempt
this class of property from taxation.
ON the contrary we believe the own,
ers should pay thereon an equitable
tax toward the expenses of the gov
lemment under which they live, and
by virtue of whose protection they
have been enabled to acquire and are
permitted to hold and transmit the
same.
Pennsylvania and Maryland have
adopted and are now using q system
of taxation as to intangibles that pro
duces most desirable results. II is
in substance to tax this class of prop
erty at a low uniform rate through,
out the state.
II appears that the Massachusetts,
Commission visited Baltimore, Har.
risburg and Philadelphia and investi.
gated the operations OF this law. As
a result of its investigations that
commission. composed of nine mem.
bers, unanimously recommended to
the legislature of Massachusetts for
1908, the adoption Of low uniform
tax upon all intangibles.
The supreme court of Massachu-
sets in response to an inquiry OF the
Legislature held the proposed meas
ure unconstitutional. This of course
prevented its enactment there.
The provisions of the Massachu
sets constitution on the subject OF
Taxation are materially different from
those OF this state and four OF oul
number are of the opinion that the
proposed measure is not contrary t.
the provisions of the constitution o.
Vermont.
For nearly thirty years the state o.
Pennsylvania has taxed most intan
gible property at a uniform rate o.
-four mills upon each dollar of the fail
cash valuation thereof.
The law there requires each person
to make a return under oath OF al
taxable money, credits or securitie!
lowned by him, and contains a provis
ion that upon failure so to do the as
SCISSORS shall make an assessment
thereof from the best information
they can obtain.
The following table shows thu
growth of the amount of intangibl,
property taxed at this rate in Penn
sylvania.