The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-10-30
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
Judge Thos. J. Coyle Favors One
and opposes the other.

There are two Constitutional
amendments TO be voted on at the
coming November election:
One TO allow the cOnvicts to be
worked on the public roads.
The other to amend the COnstitu-
ton so as to allow larger revenue
to be raised by taxation.
The amendment allowing convicts
to be worked on the public roads,
think will be in the right direction.
II seems the only way to keep con-
Wet labor from coming in COMPETE
ton with free labor. As uvDvicts
are now worked, they manufacture
shoes and chairs, that are put on
the market to compete with. shoes
and chairs made by free labor. Put
ting the convicts on the public
roads will stop this competition,
and at the same time benefit the
public and be for the good Of the
convicts themselves.
The other amendment-the tax
raising amendment, ! am against.
The circulars the tax commissions
are sending out make me against it,
They say, The present law does
not produce sufficient revenue for
the proper support Of the State and
local government, in spite Of the
constantly increasing tax rate"
The last legislature was the most
exlravagant we have ever had in
Kentucky. They passed the Confe-
deratc Pension Bill that will eventu-
ally cost the state from 100000 to
S500,0O0 year besides donating to
monuments, creating new Offices
and high salaries.
To allow this gang or gang like
il to make laws under a change in
the Constitution with bars down,
there-is no telling where taxes will
go.
As the Constitution now stands,
NO County, City, Town, taxing dis
tricts, or other municipalities shall
he authorized or permitted to be-
come indebted, in any manner or
for any purpose, to an amount ex-
ceeding, in any year, the income
and revenue provided for such year
without the assent of two-thirds Of
the voters thereof, voting at an cleo
tion to be held for that purpose"
Same Sec. i57 of the present Con-
stitulion says, The tax vote of CT
ties, towns, counties, taxing districts
and other municipalities, for other
than school purposes, shall not, at
any time, exceed the following rates
upon the value of the taxable pro-
perry therein viz: For all towns or
cities having a population of $4,000
or more one dollar and fifty cents
on the hundred dollars; for all towns
or cities having less than 1900 and
not less than 10000, one dollar on
the hundred dollars; for all towns or
cities having less than 10000, seven
ty-fiye cents ON the hundred dol
lars and for counties and taxing
districts, fifty cents on the hundred
dollars"
Sec 1853 says: The respective
cities, towns. counties, taxing dis
trlcts and municipalities shall not
be authorized or 'permitted to incur
indie btedness to any amount, lnclud-
ing existing indebtedness, in the
aggregate exceeding the following
named maximum percentages on the
value of taxable property therein,
to be estimated by the assessment
next before the last assessment pre-
vious to mourning the indebtedness,
viz: Cities of the first and second
classes, ten per centum; cities of
the third class having population
of less than 10000, and cities and
towns of the fourth class, five per
centum: cities and towns of the nth
and sixth classes, three per centum;
and counties, taxing districts and
other municipalities two per cen
tum'
See. ~, The General Assembly,
shall provide by law an annual tax,
which, with other resources, shall
be sufficient to defray the estimated
expenses of the Commonwealth for
each fiscal year,
Taxes shall be levied and col
lccted for public purposes only.
They shall be uniform upon all
property subject TO taxation within
the territorial limits of the author
ity levying the tax; and all taxes
shall be levied and collected by gen.
eral laws"
Sec. i0i9. Kentucky Statutes le-
Wy a tax Of so cents on the hun