The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-08-02

!tance taxes TO meet the expenses Of
the state. New York needs s32. 900. 900
a year TO carry on their state govern
ment, yet not one cent is collected on
common personal property or general
real estate. 1t collects the most Of
this revenue from such sources that
| In Florida pay but little taxes. The
| inheritance tax each year is much
| more than the entire expense of our
state government, and the franchise
tax is more than our yearly collection
for state purposes. Public utility cor
| PoratiOns pay 65 per cent Of the state
tax. Rhode Island. about three times
as large as Marion county, pays taxes
on nearly three times as much prop
erty as the state Of Florida. Its oyster
and she'll fishermen pay $4,000 year
! ly TO the state government.
Gov. Gilchrist in his message 10 the
| last legislature says the true value of
the property in this state subject to
taxation is more than $1,000, 900. 900,
and less than 100000. 900 is assessed.
| thereby showing there is much wealth
| IN this state that pays but little taxes
The comptroller's report of 1911
says the total state taxes is more than
| $4,000, 900. while the county taxes is
of S6.OOO,O0O a year should be under
the direct supervision of some one or
board that could and would give this
subject their full time and attention
The state constitution calls for an
equal and just assessment of prop
erty The following will show you
how equal and just the assessments in
the different counties have been: The
-
erty in Duval county, per comptrolIers
report of 1911 and 1910, is $3s per
head. In Escambia county it is SIS
per head: In Marion county it is $44
per head; Levy, adjoining. it is ss3
in Polk it is $95, while in Monroe it is
but SIS.
AS to real estate. the average wealth
in Marion county is s205; Levy, it is
| $3.50: Lake it is 1924. These three
counties join. In jefferson it is s13S:
Jackson, $3.50; Suwannee, $144; La
| fayette, 1856, and in Taylor 1t is S39S
Some of these counties join. While in
| the southern end of the state we find
Brevard is assessed att s576 per head:
| Dade pays taxes at the rate of $505
per head; Palm Beach $141S per head
and Monroe 1922. Is this an equal and
| just assessment of taxes?
Some of the large and wealthy coun-
| ties have their property listed at
| very low valuation so as to lessen their
| state taxes, while the little and poor
counties must list their property much
higher so as to get enough revenue to
meet the expenses of the county. The
| county that has it's property listed on
a basis Of 20 per cent of it's true value
and the county that lists it's property
| on a basis of so per cent of its true
value, pays four times as much taxes
| on same value as the rich and big
counties do. Is this just? Is it honest?
The best solution of the state and
county tax problem is to have the
separation of the state and county
taxes as many Of the states are now
doing.
The state collects in taxes more than
S2,OOO.O00 yearly. The railroads are
paying a little over 100000 year for
both state and county taxes; other
public utility corporations pay but lit
tie. To make this change, public
utility corporations. etc, taxes must
| go to the state, the balance to the
counties. Then there must be a change
made in the assessment of our public
utility corporations, etc, to raise the
| So, 100000 needed for state purposes
Can these changes be made with the
| SCISSORS, or should we have board of
state tax commissioners, like other
states have? l. 9. Light.