The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-22
Girard, Kansas, Man Sends Pc
tition to Congress.
He Would Have a Progressive
Property Tax.
HE'D COLLECT 81, 900, 600, 600
And All This From Only 10000
Persons.
Petition Inserted in the Con-
gressional Record.


Washington, Aug. 22.-Percy Dan
iels of Girard. Kan, has sent to con-
gress long petition for a progressive
property tax on the holdings or posses
sions of multimillionaires. On request
of Congressman Fred Jackson of KAN
sas, the petition was read in the house
and inserted in the Congressional Rec
ord. The petition follows:
/ To the Honorable the Congress of the
| United States of America:
The undersigned, a citizen of Craw-
| ford county, in the state of Kansas,
would respectfully represent that Kan
! sas has twice officially Endorsed, by Pc
| tition of her state officers and concur
rent resolution of her legislature,
levying and collecting annually a PRO-
gressive tax on the proper of all per-
I sons whose property within the United
| States aggregates more than 81 ,000,-
/ 600 each, said tax to begin with a
! per cent rate on the second million and
| to increase to an 8 per cent rate on
all but the first million when the ag-
/ gregate became more than $4,000
| 600; that the said Kansas resolution
provided for the submission of a pro-
posed amendment TO the federal con-
| stitution, to the several states for their
| approval or rejection, granting to con-
gress full powers of taxation to remove
any possibility that their purpose in
said tax measure would be defeated by
l L,
! signer to this petition, am in favor of
said amendment as defined in H. R.
| so of the first session of the Fifty
! fifth congress; and also of the adoption
/ or Dill by congress FOR levying and
collecting such a tax. and for the APP
Iportionment of the proceeds among the
states on the plan provided in said bill
| (one-thlrd in proportion to wealth,
one-third in proportion to population,
and one-third in proportion to area);
and that the first draft on this fund in
each state shall be made by the United
States treasury department for the
payment of oveF-pensions to all pen
sioners who are residents of said state,
and that the remainder of this fund
from the proceeds of this tax shall be
expended by the state authorities for
such public improvements as are speci-
fled in said bill, and for the equipment
and maintenance of an efficient Ma
tional guard. The legislatures of the
several states are authorized by this
bill to decide what portion of this resi-
due (after payment of the pensions)
of this fund shall be used for public
tary purposes.
Receipts and Diffusion.
At the time the last estimate was
made on the operation of this measure
Gin 1866 it would collect about 81, 0O0,-
100000 from a little less than 10000 per-
sons the first year; and the income
therefrom would gradually gro-y less as
the great fortunes of the country were
cut down to he elastic limit it would
establish. probably between So, 900, 900
and $5.0o0.000. by its just, speedy, and
scientific operations. On this basis New
York would receive $175, 333, 1888; Texas,
$114, 666.667; California, $SS, 900, 900: Mas
sachusetts, $50, 666, 667; Illinois, 6,000,-
900; Missouri, $6S. 666, 667; Iowa. $48, &c.,
600; Colorado, $37, 1885,, 1888; North Caro-
lima, $36,000,000; Arkansas, $50, 000, 900;
Rhode Island, 5000, 900: Delaware, $4,-
5S3. 1873: and Kansas 222 223
Pension Costs.
Next, the pensions in the several
states would be paid from these funds
by draft of the United States Pension
Bureau. The following from pension
| figures of 1894 gives the amount of pen
! sion then paid to the pensioners of sew
eral states an illustration, as fol-
| lows: New York, $11, 1897, SAB; Ohio, $14,-
734192; Indiana, $10,S41 566; Iowa, S.
76o364; Kansas. $6,O4S.592; Tennessee,
| 81, 65S, 726; Texas, 81, 030, 2S3; North Caro-
lima, $572334; Georgia, SSH, 271.
War Costs Apportioned.
|. At the same time these states were
paying on war account, for pensions,
| interest, etc, about $3.50 per capita,
which would amount for the state of
Indiana, $5,4S1, 010; Iowa, SALTS, 74o;
Kansas, $3,567, $40; Tennessee 81 AS, 795;
| Texas, $685., 807; North Carolina, 81, O44,-
S67; Georgia, 81, 593, 1882
Injustice of 1t.
These figures illustrate the Injustice
to states in the pension payments and
! the methods of getting the funds to
| meet them. To the southern states
| this has been an onerous burden, jas
| tihable after the war closed, but no
| longer So The southern states have
| been punished long enough. The diff
| fusion of these funds helps to make
| the states prosperous. 1t will be seen
| by these figures that Indiana, paying
about five and one-half millions, re-
| ceived ten and four-fifth millions;
Kansas, paying three and one-half
| millions, received six millions; Ohio,
paying nine and one-fifth millions, got
fourteen and three-fourths millions;
| New York, paying nearly fifteen mill
| lions. got nearly twelve millions; Ten
/ nessee, paying four and two-fifthS mill
| lions, got two and three-ffths millions;
Texas, paying about five and three
/ hfthS millions, got little over one
million: North Carolina, paying over
1 four millions, got $511,271.
| Injustice Corrected.
In the diffusion and restoration to
| the people of the immense fund pro-
| posed to be collected by the Progress
! sive tax bill, this injustice is wholly re
! moved as the whole pension burden
| is not only removed from the Shout
ders of the industrial masses, but
| whether a state has large or small
pension roll, it's people, as whole,
| would receive just the same portion or
1 the Progressive tax. A state with
| large pension roll would have little
less for public improvements and mill
tary expense than as though 1t had
| small list. Under this bill, 16 years
| ago Kansas and Georgia would each
receive $45.333, 1913 the first year. But
| from this the Kansas veterans would
| draw $6,04S,5 92 and the GeorSlans
$511,271. So Georgia would have to
use for the other purposes named in
the bill nearly $45.00O,000 and KAN
sas some over $39, 100000, but the
| people of each state, as a whole, would
4 be benefited by the diffusion of just
the same amount among their own res
l idanfS