The Paducah evening sun., 1910-02-09
EARNEST PLBA
FOR TAX REFORM
APPEAR BEFORE THE
JOINT COMMITTEES.
The Proposed Constitutional Amend
ment Gives Power 10 Make
Changes.
PRESENT SYSTEM Is UNJUST

Frankfort, Ky, Feb. 9.-One of
the most important committee meet
ings of the legislative session was
that held in the main parlor of the
Capitol hotel by the senate and
house committees on revenue and
taxation and constitutional amend
ments, to hear arguments on the
proposed amendment to the state
constitution providing for a reform
in the taxing laws OF Kentucky. Be
sides the membership of the four
committees. the meeting was attend-
ed by representative business men
from several sections of the state,
who are interested in a change from
the present antiquated and unequal
system of taxation in vogue in this
state.
William A. Robinson, of Louis
vile. one of the recognized tax auth
critics of this country. and member
of the recent state tax commission
appointed by Governor Wilson to
submit a report on a proposed tax
system that would meet the demand
of the present day, was the first
speaker. He showed the needs of
change from the crude and unjust
method now on the statute books, IL
Kentucky was ever to take her place
among the progressive states.
He said the people should be Civ
en- a chance to express their wishes
by the submission of constitutional
amendment giving the legislature
the right to change the taxing laws
as changing conditions demanded.
and not be tied down to system
that was rapidly driving capital out
of the state and causing other prop
erty to go in hiding.
He made a strong plea for the
creation of a permanent state tax
commission to have charge of all tax
matters. which he declared would
be money well spent and a source OF
great returns in the amount of omit
ted property that would be sought
out and forced to pay its share of
the public burden.
"a. Il. Iofu SPEAKS.
A. Y. Ford, of Louisville, who has
been a colse student of the problem
of taxation for years, followed Mr..
Robinson. He was a member of the
advisory tax commission, and to the
committees pointed out the many
glaring defects of the states taxing
laws. which he declared put the bur-
den of taxation mainly on the peo-
pie of smaller means. He said that
Kentucky had been terribly handi-
capped by its out of date system OF
levying taxes, and that the state
would continue to suffer until the
matter was remedied. He said the
proposed amendment to the constI-
tuition advocated by the state tax
would bring the desired
relief by giving the power To the
peoples representatives in the legis-
lature to make the necessary
changes.
]. w. Porter. of the Lexington
Commercial club. addressed the COM
mittees along the same lines. He
told of an estate OF 100000 that I
had been withdrawn from Lexington
because of the ruinous tax burdens
imposed by the laws of Kentucky. i
He said the present laws were pro-
ductive of more perjury than reve-
nue..
The main purpose OF the amend |
ment Is to invest the legislature with |
the power to gradually change the
revenue laws to bring them to
modern basis. The Pennsylvania
plan is most favored. 1t provides
that no class OF property shall pay
more than one tax, the state realiz-
ing its revenue from personality, and
the cities and counties from real
estate. The full text of the proposed
amendment is as follows:
Proposed Amendment.
Be 1t enacted by the general as
sembly of the commonwealth OF
Kentucky.
Section 1. That upon the con-
currence of three-fifths of all the
members elected to each house, the /
yeas and nays being taken thereon
and entered in full in their respec-
tive journals, Section III, of the
be, and 1t is amended !,
and revised, SO that 1t shall read as
The general assembly shall pro-