The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1908-10-22

I4t ~ "a ANti' IitNH III ~NNNNiNNANtiNN
6 the rleht az the people % a prompt
mlnistrallon OF Justice.
al peculiarly excellent feature Of this
Amendment Is that OF calling In circuit
! dyes in case Of the disqualification
81 The sudges Of tho Supreme Court or
/ Courts OF Appeal. This %eypcdient has
hetn IN successful operation 81 the
Federal Courts, and would add Inn
meaaoly 10 The efnaiency 81 tho court
81 worry little extra exrcnse
HOME RULE ~ TAXATION.
No. 5. This Amendment is the re
suit OF The thorough invesiigatioB OF
the system Of taxation by WI non,
partisan State Tax Commissions, one
appointed BY GOV Dockery IN 1902
and composed as follows: Judge W N.
williams. Attorney Ceneray Edward
c. Grow and Judge Peyton A. Parks;
and the other. appointed by Gov Folk
IN 1906. aud composed as follows;
Frederick n. Judsnu. author Of Taxa
ton im Missouri; Herbert s. Radley
Attorney General; Edward G. Crow
ex-Attornoy General; Judge w. n. WI
Hams, Isidor Loci. Professor Of Po
iiticsi Science and Public Law in the
University Of Missouri; Prof. T. NJ.
Crunden. Public Librarian Of st Louis,
and John H. Boutwell, member Of the
Forty-second General Assembly.
The members Of tx commission
were unanimous In f. ling that u
existing system Of taxation was hope
iessly defective. resulting IN the
grossest inequalities and inefaciency.
This amendment provides for the
separation Of the sources Of state and
local revenue as wen as the disoon-
tinnance Of the state property TAX OF
s170 On each $1,000 valuation.
II gives to local governments local
option or home rule IA taxation. per
hitting them 10 tax, or exempt from
taxation any class Of property within
their jurisdiction; provided, that any
taxation. or exemption from taxation.
made in any county or city shall be
uniform upon the same class OF sub
jects within such territory. This local
option feature Is limited only by the
risht, reserved by the state, 70 levy
any tax upon the special subjects OF
taxation, other than the general prop
erty tax.
In place Of the present property tax
FOR State purposes, the states revenue
viii be raised from the exercise Of its
general taxing power. by license. cor
poratton taxes, mortgage recording tax
and the like.
II is the purpose Of the amendment
that the State shall raise its revenue
from m source deemed expedient
except on real and personal property.
The adoption Of this amendment
would relieve the taxpayer OF Missouri
OF the tribute Of some 81, 1000, 900 a
year which they now pay 10 the state
and in lieu thereof tax important in
terests which now largely escape tai
alton. II would leave every dollar
Of this money in the cities and coun-
ties to be used for roads and other
local Improvements n the people Of
the several communities should choose
TO apply Il IN that way.
The present system IS a crushing
burden upon the producers OF the
State, such as farmers, whose personal
property, such as live stock and farm
implements cannot be concealed. The
true remedy II to substitute an effective
for an ineffective tax, which Is made
possible under this amendment-a tax
which an be evaded is necessarily an
unequal tax, because It discriminates
against the honest and s~crupuloua
man in favor Of the dishonest and I'M
scrupulous.
This amendment was endorsed By
the State Association OF County As
SCISSORS. at their recent meeting at
Bonneville, where they recommended
It to the people for adoption, and also
by the State Teachers Association At
their recen meeting al Joplin. where
they declared that the present system
OF taxation was a direct hindranoe 70
the development OF the educational
Interests OF the state.
A vote for this amendment Is q
vote for Home Rule IN Taxation.
PROVIDING FOR MUNICIPAL IN.
PRovEmENTs.
No. g. This amendment allows
cities between two and thirty thou
sand inhabitants 70 issue bonds for
seitsustaining improvements. such as
watorworks and electric light plants.
so that the indebtedness for such lra-
rroVements would Do excluded from
the computation IN determining
whether the limit OF 3 per cent for the
total valuation OF bonds Is exceeded OF
not Under this amendment the
amount Of bonds heretofore or here
after issued for aeli-sustaininE i'm
proyementa viii be excluded IN Dc.
terminlEe whether the city has reach.