The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-09-03
CHANGE TAX PLANS.
Sound Arguments In Favor Of the
Taxation Amendment to
the Constitution.

I'm advocating the newer plan OF
grouping or classifying property, and
taxing each group special or distinct
rate, in contrast to our present plan
of uniform rate, needs-from my point
of view-few arguments to commend
1t as a far better plan than the one
that now exists. Our present system
is NOT uniform, nor can 1t be made
so as long as valuation is a matter OF
personal judgment or prejudice OF the
assessor. Then under the I'm sight
plan of uniformity that now exists,
visible property, in addition to its rea-
sonable tax, is FINED for being in
sight, because of the concealment OF
other property thai can be hid, or
sworn off. This concealment Is not
all money, or bonds, or hidden mort
cages. The list Of exempted property,
or what amounts to 1t. is enormous,
but would be held under the CLASSIFIED
plan at reasonable value. Now all
sorts of property like vacant lots In
the city are returned as farming
lands, when four of them would buy
a large farm. Classified and taxed as
city property, they would have tax.
able value commensurate with their
location and market value. CLASSIFIED,
railways would be returned for taxa:
tion for something above the actual
value of the rails, ties and land under
them, based on country farm values.
AS now taxed, the invisible value that
pays dividends, and makes their
bonds worth from $1.10 to $1.75, es'
capes, and the bonds and mortgages
as well, while the farm mortgage ac.
tually calls for two taxes. The fran.
chise would then come in for its right
full value and taxation. This fran
chise matter should be Of general ap-
plication and the bondholder; pay his
rightful tax, as against land taxation
This should apply to all chartered in
dustries. They are certainly prop
erty, as it is this franchise that gives
them a bonding and dividend recogni-
tion in the stock markets, and hence
should be classified and taxed as to
value.
classification would help us to es-
cape great burdens of double and trip.
pie taxation. The farmer pays taxes
on the land, taxes on his live stock,
hay, grain and the like that they eat,
il on hand April first, and II he shall
add a dollar to the Identification of
his home, or the housing of his stock,
more tax is added. Bur the tens of
millions Of dollars on deposit in the
great banks escape, because, no one
will admit ownC Tship, in whole or
part, and the bank shifts responsible
ity. So money escapes taxation the
same as does the Gil in the great oil
tanks of Ohio, millions Of barrels, be-
cause it is III transit. when it IS
fact that it is simply In storage, as
time. The tank is taxed at junk
prices, but the $4,000 worth of oil
stored therein will escape the asses
Sors book. Under classified taxation,
the storage capacity Of the tank
would make 1t lay its share, including
contents.
This evasion OF listing the invis.
ible property has gone TO point
where the man who "dodges' justifies
himself that he is simply protecting
himself from the inequalities of our
UNIFORM RATE Of taxation by con.
cealing part to equalize what Is Wis
ible When taxation and interest
rates run a close race, there will be
concealment of property great under
valuations, reservations and 'eXemp-
tions that amount to actual sequest-
ering of property. But classified, and
a specially fixed tax charged on each,
the aggregate added to the duplicates
and increased revenues to state and
county will bo enormous, and taxation
rates and interest rates will quickly
part company. The bank deposits OF
a village and city as rule far ok.
ceed the personal property returned
and this Is not saying that all per.
sonal property now goes upon the list,
but If this deposit money was to pay
one-fourth of l per cent tax as de-
posits, this sum alone would be very
great in the aggregate. 1t would not
then be a FINE, as now, for having
money. 1t would become a levy for
the protection of property and main
tenance Of law and order.
THE laws of 80 years ago, while
framed in conformity with the then
conditions, were not made elastic to
cover the hundred and one forms of
property that since have come into
existence nor do see how it can be
'corralled' for taxation until We have
a classified plan Of taxation. Some
way this great unclassiiied aggrega-
tion of franchises, corporate interests,
deposits, stock and bond issues and
partnerships, are guaranteed by law,
and exempt by FLAW from paying
any helpful share of the taxes, and
they should be made to pay thetr
snare, Whatever that may be, into tne
tax box and not so nearly. as now,
leave its payment to the visible prop
erty, and then demand that the Visi-
BILE property shall protect and validate
the invisible.
"True, it needs wise legislature to
give us the classified taxation law,
but other things being equal, think
1t would be as wisely administered,
and its collection quite as equal to all,
as is now the UNIFORM RATE ad-
ministered by 5000 assessors, and the
boards of county auditors, boards Of
equalization, commissioners and spe,
eial appraisers and the like, with their
conflicting tumble of valuations, and
assessments, that at best Ia 'eopfu,