New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1912-09-21
THE TAX AMENDMENT.

eSo- eeeS.
The subjoined article from the
pen of Mr.. Percy Saint appears to-
day in the st. Mary Waterman
and will be one of a series in sup
port of segregation of taxes as
proposed by the State Legislature
to be voted ON in November which
we will reproduce in our columns.
This subject is being discussed in
all its phases and while we find
some opposition to it here at the
present time, still there are hun
dreds of our citizens who favor
the movement since they find that
the Parish will be the gamer III
revenues to the extent OF ST.
921.00, sum sufficient to maintain
the public highways of itself, if
Judiciously expended.
The power to tax is the danger
GUS power vested in the govern
ment. While this danger is not
much to be feared ordinarily, it
turks in the very important and
necessary power Of taxation.
1.-THE power to tax is the power
to destroy" -,
The proposed tax amendment to
the Constitution comes more near
ly to relieving the dangerous ele-
ment and to the equalization of
assessments and taxes, than any
plan ever proposed to any state
IT'S segregation feature weakens
the general centralized power Of
imposing tribute upon the people,
and comes very near to giving
what we all clamor for-local SELF
government in the most important
affairs which the people must
recognize and handle for them
selves--that of local taxation.
Selfishness dominates most of us
in our dealings with the govern
ment; the average tax payer
worries very little about what
money he pays into the public
treasury when he knows it will
stay ct home and will be spent
upon what concerns him at home :
but he takes small interest III
what the general state govern
ment is doing, and he hates to see
money turned to the Tax Collector,
sent off for almost foreign pur-
poses.
Segregation of taxable proper
ty to the different divisions of
the state means, that whatever
money is needed to run the state
will be secured from sources not
immediately affecting the parish
or the town; it means the same
thing with reference to the towns
and parishes; and tn latter is at
liberty, without asking the state,
to raise or reduce the amount col
lected through taxes. The differ
ent parishes know their needs
and should be in a postoffice to an
swer those needs without inter-
ference from higher sources.
There will, of course, be prop
erty in the parishes and towns
which will be segregated to the
state for taxable purposes, but it
would be unreasonable to expect
all institutions, especially those
which get their existence and au-
thority and power from the state
to be left free from taxation
merely because they happen to b.
located in . particular town OF
parish, where they apparently
seem to belong exclusively to tht
parish or town and get their police
and other protection from the
parish or town in which they are
located. Segregation means more
to the local self government thar
to the state, as any change from
the old, or present plan, would b
better for them. And as to thu
state, it is very evident that some
plan of assessment and taxation
must be devised to meet the III
creasing demands Of the State
and to satisfy advanced moderl
conditions and certainly, some
plan must be devised by which
the State can meet its heavy oh
legations. The Board Of Equili
xation is q failure in this state
Just a it has been a failure il
other states, while the Tax Com
mission and the segregation plar
have been satisfactory wherever
tried.
A careful reading Of the pro
posed amendment will be con
vincing to almost any one who
will interest himself to that ex
tent. Il ~ ~
When the child has bowe'
trouble y1u can relieve it n
stantly by dose Of BRODIk'S
CORDIAL. At druggists, Soc.
WOODROW WILSON FUND.