The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1913-06-28
TAX REFORM IN GEORGIA.

+ the present session OF the Georgia
+ legislature Of more Importance than
that OF tax reform. Under the c0rsti.
tuition OF the state the rate cannot
be greater that ; mills on the dollar
or s. on the $1,000, and the state is
BOW and has been for some time feel
Ing the need Of additional money to
meet the expenditures and appropria-
tions that have been made by the va
rious legislatures.
Discussing the subject the Column
bus Enquirer-Sun editorially says:
The fixing Of the rate at > mills
has left the average legislator free to
20 ahead voting appropriations,
whether there be money raised to nee
them or not. that is not his trouble,
usually when the people 30 to him to
vote for an appropriation for this
thing or that, he does hesitate to do
so.
This Is why for the first time in
the history of the state not one dollar
OF the safe school FUND for the cur
rent year has been paid to the school
teachers Of Georgia, although the
money for this purpose was presumed
to be collected last fall when taxes
were paid. says special dispatch to
the Enquirer4Sun from Atlanta APP
pearing In that paper yesterday morn
ing.
An inheritance tax is proposed to
assist in raising funds for state pur
poses. Hon. II s. Miller Of Musco-
gee, in the senate, and Hon. j. ].
Slade, In the house, introduced inherit
lance tax bills yesterday. Governor
Brown, IN his final message to the
legislature yesterday. again recon-
mended the passage of an inheritance
tax bill.
This would give the state some ad-
ditional money. Just how much we
do not know. We cannot even APP
proxmate the amount that would be I
received.
Bat it seems to us, o measure pro [
yiding for the equalization Of taxes
one that would place upon every dol !.
lar in the state an equal share Of the
burden of taxation would be the best /
and surest method of relieving the
situation of which complaint is made.
That there is much property in the
state that is not being taxed as II /
should be there is no doubt in the /
mind of any one who as given the
matter study Every day, nearly, we
5cad Of incidents tending to show that !
much property Is escaping its share
Of taxation. In some countries farm /
lands are returned at far less value
than are the same character Of farn |
lands in adjoining counties The land
owner IN one county may be paying
twice as much in taxes as his neigh |
Dor just across the line. This isn't
fair; 1t isn't just. Tho one is receiy-
ing no greater benefit from the taxes
Than the other. and the man who
owns thousand dollars worth of land
in one county should pay as much
tax on it as he who owns the same
amount in the adjoining county
The legislature should give this
matter consideration. For years past
legislatures have been too busy spend /
ing the peoples money to think about
whce II comes from, and the time
has come for halt to be called If I
The legislature is going to appropriate /
a couple Of million dollars more than
the total amount of taxes to be col
lccted. It should do something to meet
the condition that will arise when the
time comes for paying OFF the indebt-
edness of the state thus created.
II there were nothing else to cause
the general assembly TO meet the siiu-
alton the fact that the school teach.
ers have not been paid cent of their
present years salary should arouse IT,
to action, There is no excuse for fail.
IRE TO pay these hardworked servants
Of the state when their money is due
Il is a great hardship upon them to
be compelled to wait for their money
and the general assembly should see
that they do not have to wait. The
school teachers are under no greater
obligations TO wait for their money
Than are the members of the iegisla.
ture TO wait for theirs.
Il is 10 be hoped that when the
legislature adiourns this situation,
which has come to be really shame
upon the state, will have been RENE,
died.