Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-30
TAX SYSTEM
SCORED BY
SLATON
Revision Of Criminal and Other
Laws Also Urged in Execu-
tive's Inaugural Address.

Drastic action toward the reju~e-
nation and correction Of Georg4a's
laws. especially taxation and the
Criminal Code, were recommendation
which marked the inaugural address
Of John Marshall SIaton upon his
induction into the gubernatorial Of
fee in the House Of Representative
before the two bodies Of the General
Assembly and hundreds Of visitors ct
noon Saturday.
The new Chief Executive drew out
in sharp contrast the present system
Of appropriations and taxation and
declared the system was wrong.
He brought up for bitter arraign-
ment the lack of school funds, which
he termed the lack of a proper foun-
dation for future citizenship of the
State. He advocated an inheritance
tax, an increased occupation tax upon
! corporations and a general equaliza-
ton of taxation throughout the Com
monwealth
He called attention to the loss Of
millions Of dollars through abandon
ment Of tax measures such as that On
liquor, the dog tax and others. and
declared that no substitute for this
drain had been made. He recon-
mended increases in taxation for the
school fund and the pension fund. and
in concluding pointed to a general
tide Of prosperity which he declared
was to pass over Georgia.
In part, Governor Slaton said:
Our system is wrong The Legisla~
ture can appropriate what il pleases,
and the tax rate remains the same,
The Legislator has made himself a ia
vorite with his constituency by voting
for every popular appropriations and
nothing suffers but the States credit.
Unless some check be made. an in
crease Of revenue will be of no avail in
preventing the financial embarrassment
Of the State. Under the enthusiasm OF
the moment one appropriation bill may
exhaust 1t.
More than four-fif Of the States Of
the Union derive revenue from what is
known as an inheritance tax am in
formed that this tax is the subject OF
least complaint.
This form Of tax has been approved
by the highest authorities and is one
Of the easiest borne and subject to
fewer hardships than any other. The
Inheritance tax is to some extent a cor
rective.
Corporation Taxation.
Prior to the year 1905. many Efforts
were made to collect an occupation tax
from corporations Governor Terrell. in
his message Of the year 1905. recon-
mended tentative privilege tax based
on capital stock of $780, 900 per year on
corporations having a capital of 81
900 900, or over He anticipated from
this source more than 100000 year,
and thought that such sum could rea.
sonably be expected without a hardship.
The State, however, has not received
one-half this sum, and during the year
1913 the estimated revenue from this
source is $4S, 900
l recommend that the maximum occu-
patton tax on corporations having 81
100000 capital and over be $500 per an
mum, and the tax on corporations of less
CdpllaA DC adjusted accordingly.
Equalization of taxes, either through
the enforcement of present laws. or new
correctives, so that each may bear his
proportionate burden, would not mean
the increase of taxes upon any one now
performing his duty, but would rather
mean the tightening Of his unfair por-
ton of the load. 1 commend this SUBJ
ject to your attention.
Bonded Debt To Be Refunded.
An additional reason for establishing
and maintaining the States finances on
sound basis is the necessity of max
| ing provision for more than one-haIf of
the entire bonded debt Of the State. ma
turing in 1915 This is an imperative
duty resting on this Legislature
No sinking fund was provided by law
to retire the bonds aggregating s3,679.-
900 which are due in 1915 The entire
States debt is s6,452, 500, which does
not include the obligations to the Uni
versity amounting to 1891, 500. and the
landscrip fund of 500, 600
All the debt Of S6,452 500 is provided
for, or win be provided for. by the sink
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