The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-09-21
NEW TAX PLAN EXPLAINED.
Gov. Hall EIucidates The constltu-
tionai AmendmentsTax Dodgers
TO be Caught Without Increasing
Burden on TaxpayersPrincipIe
Of Segregation Described.

Of Segregation Described.
The following article written by
Gov. Luther f. Hall and published
in the Baton Rouge Country Re
views issue Of Sept. s, presents d
straig ghtforWard EXPLANATION of the
general principles and main features
of the reformed tax system upon
which the people Of louisiana are TO-
vote in November: #
| There is no one who defends the
present system of assessment and
taxation in force III this state. All
are agreed that some radical change
or revision in ii is d bsoluteIy neces-s
sary to meet the incraasing IS needs Of
the state. During the last state
campaign the imperfe tfons, ineauali-
ties and iniustiees the system
were condemned, and zach candidate
for governor pledged irnself to use
his best efforts, il ted pro-
vide system By hich ton
might be made eas nd unIfarIn1
and the burden off eIat bus
sfisIi res
4
1enormolIs values haS able TO
Isescape the payment Of l1st pro-
portion of taxation IL eonseqr
the deficiency has to be made good
by those who are notsso fortunately
situated. The result has been that
| the great burden OF taxtion has been
gradually but surely shifted to the
shoulders of those who are the less
able to bear it, and they are now
| paying as much as they should be
lcalled upon to contri butte, But the
increasing population of the state
necessitates increased revenue Tor
the support of the state government
and it's institutions. If the present
system of assessment and taxation,
which has proved wholly inadequate
TO the growing demands Of the state,
| is to be retained, then this Increased
revenue can be obtained only BY an
! increase of the rate OF taxation.
Some relief might be secured through
uniformity of assessments, but such
a condition can not be hoped for I'M
der the present system. The ineyita-
] BILE result of an Increase in the rate OF
taxation would be to increase unduly
| the burden of those who are already
| contributing their just proportion OF
| taxation-such as the farmers ana
| people of moderate means through
| out the state. It IS obvious that the
only feasible and just plan is one
| that will embody new forms of taxa
ton, such as a tax on inheritances,
on corporate franchises, on future
contracts. etc, and will reach prop
erty which has heretofore, in q large.
measure, escaped taxation. So the
| problem to be solved Is to make am
ple provision for all needed revenue
| for the state and TO do this without
| increasing the burdens Of those Who
are now taxed to a reasonable limit
To accomplish this result is the
underlying purpose of the plan now
submitted for the approval or rejec-
ton of the people at the November
election.
It would be impossible within a
brief time to discuss the proposed
plan in all its details. 1t is built
around the central Idea OF segrega-
ting for the purposes of state taxa
ton certain forms Of property and
lGdfluS dill uL1Et S4lt ~ ~
several parishes and municipalities to
be taxed for local governmental pur-
poses. It means almost absolute
home rule for them III matters of as
sessing and taxing property reserved
to them. The state would surrender
its right to levy any tax at all on the
remaining property and also to col,
lect licenses, except on such busi-
nesses as fall within the scope Of
it's police power such as the sale OF
Intoxicating liquors, etc. The people
Of the parishes and municipalities
would be relieved Of the payment Of
the state tax Oh the property subject
to taxation by them and also of the
payment of all state licenses except
such as are mentioned above, To
compensate them for the loss of the
segregated property they would be
given the power IN their discretion
to impose upon the remaining prop
erty in addition to the ordinary par
! ish or municipal tax the tax now
raid IN the state under tho 1,resant