The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-10-20
AVERAGE
Tax Rate In Ohio Was Three
Per Cent
Before The One Per Cent Law
Was Passed
Now Expected To Be Less
Than One Per Cent
Some Meaty Statistics On
The Taxation Subject
Showing How The Taxpayer
Is To Be A Ga,nT

made public by the Ohio Tax com
mission show that, before Governor
Harmon obtained a law limiting the
maximum tax rate for every taxing
district to l per cent the average rate
in Ohio was per cent. Under the
rate limitation law, the average will
be mills--or a fraction less than
per cent.
Tho governor thus reduced the rate
to overcome the objection of those
owners Of corporate and personal
property, who had not been paying
their share, that 1t was necessary to
eyade their taxes to escape connsca-
ton OF the incomes from their invest.
ments. But, no sooner was that done,
than corporate and personal property
owners raised the cry that, If the tax
duplicates were increased by addi-
tions to their property, the extra mon
ey that the large duplicate would pro-
duce wouzEfbe extravagantly expended
by public officers
These opponents of Gov. Harmon's
tax reforms asserted they would not
bring forth from hiding their stocks
and bonds and return them for taxa
tion, that they might be used to pro-
vide more money for ofiicias, in town
ships, counties, cities and state who
were already too extravagant In
spending the public funds. They de-
clared that for many years in Ohio,
salaries of public officers had been In
creased without cause, that too many
new officers had been created, and
that places of profit had been In.
creased far beyond the needs Of good
service. 1t was averred, by the enc
mics OF equal taxation, that in too
many public officers the business was
conducted in the interest of machine
politics rather than on the basis OF
how well and economically the people
could be served.
Ototlotitb 6uIhOlCu boNGiu'
mental records, by those fighting the
governors tax bills, showed that dur.
ing the past decade the population OF
Ohio increased 14.5 per cent, the tax
duplicate only 35 per cent, while the
amount of money raised for taxation
mounted at the rate of 68 per cent
They clinched their arguments with
figures from the records of the state
auditor showing actual increases OF
taxes levied and expended. as follows;
Taxes raised in Ohio in
1910 ........ .... .$75 1913, ,794. .5S
Taxes raised in Ohio In
1909 ..,... .... H,7O6, ,3708s
Increase .......,...$ 4,113,423.7l
Taxes raised In Ohio in
| l90v ...... ...,... .$7l, ,706,37O,S
Taxes raised In Ohio In
1908 ...,..,.,....,.., 67,70S ,460, %
Increase .,........$ 1897 ,910.6a
Other figures from the state audi
tors records showing the increases
annually in public debts of the state
counties. cities, villages, townships
and school districts we're quoted as
| follows;
Debt In 1909 ,..,....,,,$1S4,314,231, ,OC
Debt In 1908 ........,,.l7 l70,179, ,657 OF
Increase ,.......$ l4,134,574.0(
Governor Harmon saw the principa
reason for the increases was that pub
lie officers first decided the amount o
money they would pay out every year
and then they would make levy t.
raise that amount. There was no Law
then limiting the power of public Off
GERS to make the tax levies, or re
stricting the expenditures of public
money, After limiting the maximum
tax rate, Gov, Harmon, to overcom,
the objection OF those who insisted
that larger duplicates would mean In
creased expenditures despite the low
maximum rate law, abridged the
spending power by having inserted il
his low rate law provision limiting
the aggregate expenditures OF publ,
money in 1911 to an amount not to ex
coed that spent in 1910. This, 1t il
claimed, for 1911 at least, stopped tn,