The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1911-01-06
TAX SYSTEM
NEEDS REVISION
ADDRESS of A. Y. Ford tG the
Members of Kentucky
Press Association.
PRESENT MODE COSTS HEAVILY
Tax Revision Does Not Mean exemp-
zion. But Fair ApPortionmert on
~ Kinds of PrcPerty-:t
Means Uniformity.

dress OF Mr.. A. y. Ford before the
Eeufuckv Press association at the
iliG-wintpr gathering ia Louisville:
The TAX system Of a state deserves
careful consideration. because the
over 20 TAX is the power 10 destroy.
and a tax unwiSely laid may easily
Drain the life OF a community or Kill
an industry. Approximately S2O.000,-
ClV year are taken from the pockets
q the people OF Kentucky for the sup.
Tor, OF the state. county and munich
Iai governments. lr is Incompetent
chile thar a thing which means so
much in dollars and cents 10 the peo-
lie Of the state should generally have
received such scani consideration. II
j. difficult to understand why it should
Lave been so hard a, any time 10 Sc.
care from those charged with the
duly of making our laws careful.
to. Ough and conscientious study OF
t.e methods by which these large rev.
,Eues are raised. We have no special
complaint 10 make Of the way in
Eich these revenues are spent
There has been no considerable eX
iraNagance in the expenditure of our
iGbliC funds. ii is therefore time tina,
We NOW stop % consider carefully
whether these large sums are raised
~ The besi possible methods. whether
they are raised in way that distrib
U;eS the burden fairly As between the
owners of vaIious kinds of property
whether The AK laws impose the least
burden consistent with the demand
fDr revenue. and whether they so dis
tribute the burden "a 10 offer the least
POSSIBLE hinGrance 10 the Development
g the state. Where there is compe-
t..ion between communities such as
necessarily exists under modern con
Gi!iUns. an mWise system. laid with
CAT due consideration of the handicap
il may impose upon the community in
TIE sharp competition for new popula-
ton. new industries and new capital.
NAV easily prove destructive Of pros
VCrity.
Revision Does Not Mean Exemption
The movement Tor q revision Of the tax
seSi-m of Kentucky l. nni q movement
T. favor OF exemption 90 any k'rd -
Tr"prTiy from trN&iiun. I know it In
In chaT3cI i"iG"d "a some quarters re
C-1-i. 49, au appeal for an cNrmution (
capital from taxation. Their" has re-
utly appeared !u he pros of the stare
80 ..rt:cl" from q gentleman for whom
have the g"taieS' RESPECT which rCNca =
q total 01iSIU~u..l--- t:'ii2 "i th,- spirit
:ud purpo~n 80 Abs m"NsmrI'. In this
u-iiclv IL Is declared that The attrnlnt 10
D., i>- The ~N~-,.'' ui taxation in Ken
t-,Fy t. "a part - general combination
g capital 10 secure exemption from ;rN-
a'i.r. I state deliberately. and with fan
consideration. ana having abundant op-
Y"r,Uriiy @" know whereof ! speak. thu,
tic lax system Of k.UfIrkN has ever
suggested shat any class of property
should b. exempted frpm taxation.
The purpose - IA. movement for TX
revision - unt Eco -,r.l:" exemption "a:
.HN class 81 prou-r!y. on :hc contrary.
l. X fpr jhe purOn~- ~ removing c"nSii-
tuiiena restrictions - tia; th' l'gisil-
iur'' may have power 80 to vary IT,,
Ul--i hod and the r.if- iGIj millions 81 do
Lars ~ property ina; NOW escape taxa
ii"u may he made g" yield a revenue ami
thus relieve Tho burden on rca! sStai"
Our present system has utterly failed IL
thiS RESPECT. -Aftrr nineteen wears 81
trial Ne tina T. hIS practically broken
CuNn. - Ear "a concerns the raising ui
rcNt1.u.. from ~fnrk~ and bonds and other
properly Of that in:an"i5. kind which
can easily be hidden.
Shall Ne merely keep on with the old
system that has failed. or shall "" maxi
ourselves free Ia Try methods that have
.gl'Hrr,-,i-d clSewher- In deriving large
T,V.nu" from this kind ~ properly which
ESCAPES I'm oUr state" ! make no aDp'a
Tor The TAX dpdSer. l. favor no exemption
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Facts and Not Theories
Trll....r.-.,..,rl,- null o,,r ,~..s.r. lav
-, ,,.,,.,t, .v,,,., p,.,,.,i,.,il,- nm.
,i,.- .,rr. -,~,.-,.rf ~ ,,f,':.ps ,,non nil
li..,s ..-.,,,. p,,l,. lin <, - 49,, -.
h..r< ~ in>..,.,,.. ~. ,.,>II T., J>.,,
-,..i.,- ~ 800, m. - ,,,.,,.fr., -,
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s,..-- -, a.. -. ia. ,..,..it.i ,,- - n.
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L.,.,....l.,. q. az. q. - -. 81 g,
rrsl Prni"riN Tx SfS;"n. L. i sNS
vars ..a wE.u l,rar,-riy ,.xi.trd iu sim
-. form ub.,r most. fb,, =, man ia,
w.uId Ia. in sham. az Iluls and bollSes
.p.l Iy, stock ar , stuck of goods .,
u:h,-r things visible. 10 ihr eye a nd easily
a., SS..d IT, th,r .la>- II rived IL. pur.
uu~, ftirly WEI d.. that d,V has bcfl
Song ou-.rovn and TIA. system which Suf
-n..- T. .,..,- !. u.