The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-08

reahty long in use on the continent.
BUSINESS taxes in the form of licenses
ana taxes on receipts-the most com
mon form of taxation OF productive
personal property-are, he declared.
except IN Isolated cases. unsatisfactory.
ne TAX should be calculated ACCORDING.
70 some outward criterion. The most
logical is the rental paid. Sumniny
up this proposition, he said:
The assessment of stock-in-trade
proceeds ond the assumption that
the larger the stock the more prosper
Gus the merchant. The business renta,
assessment proceeds on the assun,p
ton that the larger the stock the
greater Will he the space required. and
therefore the higher the rental And
while the business rentals tax is not
inferior to the Stockton trade tax in
theory, 1t possesses the advantage OF
WORKING almost automatically. instead
OF systematically or not at all II can
be c Elected easily, certainly. withou,
undue inGuisition and with reason
able fairness"
Taxation OF PROPERTY
An Illuminating paper was read by
Samuel Lord. of the state Tax Com
mission of st. Paul. Mimi on Admin.
istration of Laws for Taxation of
Property" 1t was the last report of
the morning session. and covered in
detail the chief defects in the present
system
Among the recommendations made
by the speaker were: Reimbursement of
local assessment systems in such .
manager as will insure 10 local asses
sors better pay for their work-thus
Improving local assessment work: en-
largement, wherever practicable. of
"a
Justify the employment of the whole
time OF competent assessor: the crea
ton of central supervisory board 10
furnish advice to local assessors either
directly or through district super
visor: and full publicity of assessmen:
matters by publication OF the dtails
of local assessment rolls and compare
tive statistics issued by the central
supervisory body.
Other Reports Heard.
Three other reports We're read at the
morning session: ''On Banks AMI
Financial Institutions" by y. S ellison
former State tax commissioner, Fond
du Lac. Wisconsin: ION Mercantile
Business" by Oscar Lesser, judge OF
Appeal Tax Court, Baltimore, Md. and
ON Classification of Real Estate" by
7. c. Townsend. former State tax
commissioner. Charleston. w Va
The afternoon meeting was giver
UP to a round table" discussion OF
administrative problems by tax Of
, hcials The reports OF the morning
were informally discussed and expires
, s!ons heard from various delegates or
! problems of administration.
The evening session brought III.
! ffrh annual conference Of State anC
Local Taxation to close. Paper.
/ Were read as follows: On Co-Opera
ton With Census" by Allen r. Foote
! president International Tax .Associa
| tion ON Uniform Insurance Ia,
Laws" by Lawson Purdy. presiden
| Department of Taxes and Assessments
| city OF New York, and "On an OGicia
/ Journal by Professor Z. S. Adams
/ State. tax commissioner. Madison. Wis
Al the business meeting this morn
! ing the association will elect officer.
and members OF the executive com
mittee for the coming year, transac
business OF routine nature and hea
reports from several subcommittee
IT is probable. also. that the meetina
place OF the conference for next yea.
VIII be selected