Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-01-11

game, the supervision and regulation
of the oyster industry, the safeguard
ing of the water supply and the dispo-
sition of the riparian rights of the
state? Why should every oyster bed
have a commission of its own? 1t is
necessary to bring order out of this
chaotic miscellany, not merely to have
the satisfaction of conducting the busi-
ness of the state in businesslike and
efficient way, but to prevent waste and
f0restall abuses of many kinds. | sug-
gest, therefore, the constitution by law
OF a commission. not too large, to act
promptly and tremendously, to take
INTO consideration the whole question
of simplifying and co-ordinating the adj
minlstrative agencies of the state in
order that they may be put upon the
best possible basis of economy and
efticiency. In my judgment the major
ity of the commission should be ex
perienced and trusted business men,
and they should have the benefit of the
advice of men who have made a spe-
cial study of scientific efficiency in
practical administration. 1t should re-
port to the legislature at as early a
date as possible. Its report would serve
to concentrate public opinion upon one
of the most vital matters of govern
ment, whether looked at from the point
of view of purity or of seryiceability.
and with public criticism centered upon
a particular scheme or reorganization,
satisfactory legislation could readily be
obtained
Should include Tax Reform.
The scope of this commissions in
quiry ought to be so wide as to include
our whole method of assessing and
equalizing taxes. You have only to ex-
anime the reports of our state tax
boards to realize how unsatisfactory
our present methods are 1t is not
enough that there should be boards to
which individuals can resort to rem
edy inequalities in taxation and as
sessment. Powers of correction fall
short of accomplishing what ought to
be accomplished. Uniform standards
ought to be established upon the in
itiative and authority of some central
board of supervision. That body ought
TO have independent and exclusive pow
ers of recIassification within certain
general limits defined in the law In
several states of the Union-in Wis
consin, for example, and in Massachu-
setts-commiSSionS of this kind have
been set up with exceedingly satisfac-
tory results, whose powers are pow
ers of active supervision and through
whose instrumentality Inequalities and
inequities are being corrected upon a
definite plan, not in individual cases
only, not merely for the persons who
can afford to appeal and protest, but
by systematic means and upon the in
itiative of the commission itself.
You sAave only to ask the average
taxpayer whom you meet on the street
what he thinks of the assessments to
which he is subjected to find how
many varieties of assessment there
are in the state. You have only to
examine the average tax assessor S
books to discover how little system
there is and how little he actually
knows OF the property he assesses
How many of the tax districts in the
state are mapped and plotted? How
many assessors can produce definite
evidence and data to support their as
sessments? Undertake to debate with
men from half a dozen counties the
question whether we should continue
to maintain our present system of
county tax boards and you will at
once discover that in some counties
they are valued and deemed efficient;
in others smiled at and regarded as en-
tirely unnecessary and unwarrantably
expensive. Have the state board of
assessors and our state board for the
equalization of taxes powers that can
bring satisfactory system out of
these varieties and confusions? If they
have, not, somebody should have, for
, the whole matter needs reconsidera-
tion.
Along with this systematic recon
sideration Of our methods of assess
ments and taxation should go a very
thorough examination of our tax sys-
tenn itself, its basis and principle.
Perhaps we shall be in better posi-
tion after making our machinery suit
able and adequate to discover the
weak places in the bases of taxation
Sooner or later we shall be obliged to
examine them to the bottom.
Are we systematic? Have we prop
erly combined our instrumentalities
and adequately equipped them with
authority in the great matter of the
conservation Of our naturally splendid
and abundant resources? Conservation
is not matter which can now be
satisfactorily handled by an occasional
act of legislation. We must hit upon a
system. and somebody in particular
must be charged with the response
u