The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-09-29
TAX IN SOUTHERN STATES
WAS MURPHY GAMBLERS THEME
IN LOUISVILLE MEETING.
GeOrgian's Address Was a Feature of
the Conference of the Interna-
tiOnaI Tax Association.

the conference Oh Jlic IANSIht~
tiOnaI Tax Association.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-HOn. Charles
Murphy Gambler of Georgia spoke on
Taxation in the Southern States"
before the International Tax Asso-
siation, which began here today.
His address was a feature of the
session. At the outset he reviewed
the right of taxation and the duties
of government and then began dis
cussion of taxation in the south.
I'm the state of Georgia" he said,
I'VE spend approximately one-half of
sur entire state revenue in public
education; one-ffth more in pen
@ions to those and their independents
who, nearly a half century ago, rem
dered service in war to their state;
we care for the mentally afflicted;
we educate the deaf, the dumb and
the blind; we build and support state
sanitariums for those afflicted with
tuberculosis, and through our state
manufacture and supply gratis anti
toxins for diptheria and hydrOphobia
and vaccine virus for smallpox; we
Inspect and guard orchards and crops
against insects and diseases; we keep
watch over horses, sheep, hogs and
the cattle upon a thousand hills,
pick ticks from their hides, and in
the name of the people, kill or cure;
we analyZe potable waters in the in
terest of health and measure water
powers and survey their sheds in the
interest of industrial development;
NE study soils and rocks, clays and
minerals, and freely supply acquired
information as to their location and
values to promoter and investor; we
inspect and analyze the fertilizers
sold to our farmers, as well as the
foodstuffs offered for man and beast;
we regulate, restrict or prohibit, as
we deem wise, the sale of fluids that
unduly cheer or intoxicate; we in
spect the physical condition and OPP
GRAFTON of public service facilities
and regulate the charges eXacted of
the public; all of these subjects and
more, the state concerns itself with,
besides administering justice through
her courts and preserving the peace
with her militia. The money to
carry on such a benefcent and far
reaching government must come
from the people who ordained it, and
is raised by taxation.
Mr.. Gambler discussed at some
length the taxation of railroad prop
erty in Georgia and the methods of
arriving at it. He discussed at
length a recent article in the Nation
al Magazine by Garnault Agassiz,
which he said could hardly have
been a more unfair or inaccurate
statement of GeOrgia's treatment OF
her railroad interests. AS to the tax
dodger he said:
''If the mass of honest taxpayers
could ever be brought to a realiza-
tion of the fact that the taX-dodger
and underwater actually defrauds
them, and not the state, by forcing
them to carry his burdens, and that
efficient and fair assessment laws
would not only secure equality of
burden, but a reduction in rates,
there would be no difficulty in plac-
ing such laws on our statute books.
The great corporate interests of the
states, the owners of vast personally
estates, are largely responsible for
the perpetuation of imperfect tax
systems and failures to amend
them"