The true Democrat., 1912-09-21
NEW TAX PLAN SPREADS
BURDEN Of TAXATION
Gov. Hall in Country Review:

GOV. hall pn Country review:
There is no one who defends the
present system of assessment and
taxation In force in this State. All
are agreed that some radical change
or revision in it is absolutely neCes-
sary to meet the increasing needs
OF the State During the last State
campaign the mperfections, inequali-
ties and injustices of the system were
condemned, and each candidate for
Governor pledged himself to use his
hest efforts, IF elected, to provide a
system by which taxation might be
made equal and uniform and the bur
den of government thus evenly dis
tributed Under the present system
many owning property Of enormous
values have been able to escape the
payment Of their just proportion Of
taxation and in consequence the de-
flcbency has to be made good by
those who are not so fortunately sit
uated. The result has been that the
great burden Of taxation has been
gradually but surely shifted to the
shoulders of those who are the less
able to bear it, and they are now
paying as much as they should be
10 frih ih,,f, ~.
increasing population of the State ne
cessttates increased revenue for the
support Of the State government and
its institutions.
II the present system of assess
ment and taxation which has proved
wholly inadequate to the growing de-
mands Of the State, Is to be retain
ed, then this increased revenue can
be obtained only by an increase of
the rate of taxation. Some relief
might be secured through unifOrmi-
ty or assessments, but such a cOndi-
ton cannot be hoped for under the
present system. The inevitable re-
suit OF an increase in the rate Of
taxation would be to increase unduly
the burden of those who are already
contributing their just proportion OIL
taxation-such as the farmers and
people Of moderate means through,
out the State. 1t is obvious that the
only feasible and just plan is one
that will embOdy new forms of taxa
ton, such as a tax on inheritances,
or corporate franchises, on future
contracts, etc, and will reach prop
erty which has heretofore, i'm a large
measure, escaped taxation. So the
problem to be solved is to make am
pie provision for all needed revenue
for the State and to do this without
increasing the burden of those who
are now taxed to a reasonable limit. /
To accomplish this result is the IN
derlying purpose of the plan now sub
mtted for the approval or rejection
Of the people at the November cleo
ton.
1t would be impossible within a
brief time to discuss the proposed
plan In all its details. 1t is built
around the central idea of segregat-
ing for the purposes of State taxa
ton certain forms of property and
leaving all other property to the sev-
eral parishes and municipalities to
he taxed for local governmental pur-
poses. 1t means almost absolute home
rule for them in matters of assessing
and taxing property reserved tnl
them. The State would surrender
its right to levy and tax at all on the |
remaining property and also to COZ
iect licenses, except on such business
Is as fall within the scope Of its DO
lice power such as the sale of in.
toxicating liquors, etc.
The people of the parishes and mu-
inequalities would be relieved of the
payment Of the State tax on the prOC-
erty subject to taxation by them and
also of the payment of all State H..
censes except such as are mentioned
above. To compensate them for the
loss of the segregated property they
would be given the power in their
discretion to impose upon the remain
ing property in addition to the ordi-
nary parish or municipal tax the tax
now paid to the State under the pres
ent system. For instance, a parish
would under the present system pay
for local governmental purposes a
tax OF ten mills and a State tax of
six and twO-tenths mills. which in.
cludes the proposed Confederate Vet
eran tax. making a total of sixteen
and two-tenths mills, would, underI
the new system, pay no State tax at |
all, but would, in addition to the or
dinary tax of ten mills. collect asi