The Cairo bulletin., 1911-02-01

\ personal property, tangible and H.
( tangible, and to devise special mech,
obs OF taxing them, subject tc the
rule Of uniformity in tA'' taxation of
| all personal property OF the SAM
| class within the same taxing 1urisdic-
ton.
| The purpose OF the amendment Is r.
| empower the general assembly to pro
wide a system for the assessment and
taxation OF personal Drorcity which
| will correct present notorious IN
qualities and more effectrally reacn
reach certain classes Of intangible
personal property which, Gin practice,
it has been found difficult or pract'-
cally impossible to reach under the
present system.
| The experience or this and otleg
states shows that a morA etiicacons
method fol reacmag personal bran
cry than that provided under the
general property tax must be de-
vised If personal property, and espIc-
tally intangible personal property, is
| to bear its just proportion OF the
burdens OF taxation,
To Stop Evasion.
The evasions Of taxation by the
owners OF Intangible personal prop
erty nave become notorious, And
yet as the taxation Of intangible per-
sonal property at the rate now levied.
upon the same basis as tangible per
sena property, would amount to The
confis2ation CT one-auarter to one-ha.f
Of thesincome. the temptation to eT,r
sion is great. The result is that
such property escapes taxation alto
gether, or, where imposed upon those
who scientiously obey the letter Of
the law. amounts TO the In position up
on them OF an inequitable and intol
cradle burden Of taxation which Is es.
CAPPED by their less conscientious
ncighbors.
In other states. the conditions des-
eribed have led to the abandonment
of the attempts to tax this species Of
property under the general property
tax and the substitution therefor OF
methods specially adapted to the tax
alton OF each of the various classes
| of personal properly. Thus, in Mas
saehusetts, New York, New Jersey,
and Maryland, special taxes on cor
puratioiis and on mortgage notes ana
other kinds of personal property a'e
now used TO large extent and, TO a
more limited extent, in OHIO, Wiscon-
sin and Minnesota.
Cumulative Voting.
In my recent biennial message, i
submitted for your consideration the
question of abolisning by a constitu
tional amendment the system of cum.
ulative voting and the proposed
| amendment of the constitution csta6-
fishing the initiative and referendum
Under the constitution, but one ar
ticle OF the constitution can be
amended at the sane time. The aboli-
| tion Of the system of cumulative vet
| ing and the establishment of the mi.
tialive and referendum can be SUB.
mitted at the same time as they both
affect article " OF the constitution
I The amendment suggested by the $40
| cia! tax commission affects article IN
and cannot be submitted with the
other two amendments or with either
Of tnem. 1t is for your honorable
| body to determine the order Of pre-
cedence between these constitutional
amendments, or whether the amend
lments suggested ana @others require
| the calling of a constitutional Con
vention by yonr honorable body and
the submission to the people Of our
state Of the matter of enacdng a new
state constitution.
Accompanying the report Of the
| special tax commission are two yalI-
able documents. enc a comprehen-
siye report on the taxation and reve-
nue. system of Illinois, prepared by
| Prot. John Al. Fairle, Phi. D associate
professor Of political science, Univer.
sity of Illinois, the other on Illinots
tax laws and decisions, compiled and
prepared by Albert M. Kaies, and
Elmer NJ Leissmann, in which the
existing tax taws OF Illinois and the
decisions of the supreme court re-
iating thereto have been classifie1
and arranged in connection with the
sections of the constitution and sta
tutes 40 which they refer and, wher
ever possible, under the different
words or clauses of each section.
In conclusion wish to recommend
this report and its accompanying Dr.
ctnents to the earnest consideration
OF the general assembly In il your
honorable body will find wealth OF
Information and of suggestion which
will be of the greatest benefit in your
deliberations upon the questions in.
Vowed in the proposed revision of the
revenue laws of the state,
4 Respectflrlly submitted,
CHARLES S. DENIIEN,
4 Governor.
|