The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1912-11-01
SPEAKER THOMAS REASONS
Why He Thinks the Tax Amendment
Should Be Voted by the People.

As q reason for voting to submit to
the people the proposed tax amend
ment Representative L. e. Thomas.
Speaker of the House Of Representa-
tives, said:
This is surely an economic and not
Q political question in any sense and
In casting my vote for the submission
Of this Constitutional Amendment 10
the people Of this State, I do so for
the following to me cOgent reasons:
1st.-Our present system of taxa
ttiOn is not only a~ntiquated and un-
equal, but does not distribute the bur
dens of government uniformly.
2nd.-As a result of the present gen.
eral property tax for State purposes
some parishes who assess on a much
higher basis for property values are
made to pay very much more than
others to support the State Govern
ment which is unjust, and experience
has demonstrated that this injustice
cannot be corrected as long as this
system prevails. Only segregation of
State sources of revenue from local
objects Of taxation can rectify this
prevailing evil.
3rd.-Every Tax Commission that
hs been appointed in every State in
the Union for the past TWENTY-FIVE
years has uniformly and without dis
sent reported in favor of this system
of taxation as being the best and more
IN harmony with correct ideas Of po-
htical economy than the general prop
erty tax. Students of the subject Of
taxation are practically a unit on this
proposition.
4th.-Every State that has adopted
this system of taxation, of which there
ne several. 10 thoroughly satisfied
with the same and has nc intention Of
returning to the former methods Of
raising revenue, demonstrating that
this is not an untried and unproven
experiment which is being submitted
q the people.
5th.-By the proposed amendment
practically every parish in the State
II q gamer, amounting in the aggre-
gate to nearly a million dollars,
which is taken of the shoulders of
the farmers. merchants, mechanics
Aborers, and local taxpayers. and can
b used for schools, good roads and
ether local improvements or taxes
can be reduced by from one to five
mills In each parish in the State.
6th.-The burden Of supporting the
State Government Is largely placed on
the corporations that derive their
very existence as well as exemption
from personal liability for debts by
virtue of the grant or laws of the
State, while the parishes and munich
paltties are supported by local taxa
ti6n and thereby absolute nome rule
Is guaranteed to them both in fixiHg
the rate of taxation as well as the ba-
Sts Of assessments. Each community
conducts and manages it's own affairs
in all such matters, which is sound
Democratic doctrine.
7th.-While 1t is true a largo
amount of property is taken from the
parishes land especially my OWN yet
II You will take into consideration
the fact that the State is also surren-
dering six mills Of taxation, from
which the people will be freed, on
what is left and this surrender by the
State exceeds what the parishes and
cities give up by nearly a million dol
lars, the State giving up more than
she takes. That is a matter Of easy
mathematical calculation il one would
be fair in dealing with the PROPOSE
uon.
6th.-This amount of gain to the
local communities is made good to
the State by new sources Of taxation
that heretofore have not paid their
fAir proportion of the expenses Of
government and in some instances
have paid nothing. Some of these
MAY be enumerated as the tax on oil,
gas, sulphur, sand, gravel. corpora
ton franchises. insurance companies,
irheritances, etc. This is a just tax
from which at present we receive
very little.
9th.-This amendment abolishes the
obsolete license or occu-
tax (except businesses that
fsll under the police powerD which
has been 30 much complained Of and
condemned and which Al present 10
1evi0d by only one or two other States
= thu American Union. Louisiana
thereby puts herself IN line With the
ooeroct theory Of economies In re-
nov16g tAts double tax O iaanstry
~ Glr1ft