The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1913-10-10
CHANGE IN OUR
TAX LAWS NEEDED
Constitutional Amendment
To Be Voted On In
November
EQUITABLE SYSTEM DEMANDED

Last General Assembly Passed an
Amendment to the State constitu
ten Relating to Revenue and Taxa
ton.
Frankfort. Ky.-(SpeciaD The last
General Assembly in Kentucky passed
an amendment to the State Constitu
ton relating to revenue and taxation
with view of abolishing the anti
quated general property tax and sub
shutting a more flexible system known
to be more equitable and productive
Of greater revenue in other states
The tax commission appointed un
der another act at the same session
made thorough investigation and re
ported unanimously in condemnation
of the present law and strongly urged
the adoption of the amendment by the
voters at the November election.
II is a significant fact that since the
adoption of the present Constitution
In 1891, which provided that taxes
should be uniform on all property" q
large volume of personal property has
disappeared from the assessors rolls
for the simple reason that such prop
erty was taxed out of existence or a,
least out of sight
The owner OF bond, for instance
who received AZ interest and was
called upon to pay in some instances
21k95 or more In taxes either sold his
bond or failed to return It for taxa
ton and cash, notes, bonds, stocks in
foreign corporations and such like IN
yestments are apparently no longer
owned by Kentuckians.
Burden Of Taxes Transferred.
This has had tendency to transfer
the burden of taxation to real estate
and other property insight and ID moi
only unequal but unjust
The real estate owner has sought
to diminish it's value and in order to
protect himself transfers OF property
for zone dollar and other valuable con
Biderations" has demoralized the true
values and leaves the assessor nc
guide to follow.
omitted such items in their returns
for assessment and have felt justified
in doing so.
The finances Of the state have fall
en- into confusion and revenue agents
and arbitrary boards OF so-called
Equalization" have failed to discover
such property and secure their assess
ment.
Under the present law every man Ii
practically HIS own assessor and the
courts have sustained the practice, as
the law permits no other course.
General Property Tax Desirable.
Other states have long since recog
nized the ineficiency of the Genera
Property Tax" and in these states we
see enterprise rewarded and wealth
accommodating. while the tendency in
Kentucky has been to hide our light
and incidentally our valuables for fear
Of the tax collectors discovery.
Our progress has been retarded
Our population diminished and aside
from the land owners and some mer
chants we do not seem to have much
wealth left In the state.
Money like water flows along ths
lines OF least resistance, and II WI
throw up adam. however slight, I
will be diverted.
Such q triAlng obstacle as taxes, 4
unequally distributed. may prove h
be a bafrleriof insurmountabls proper
tiohs. however Insignificant It mai
seem from casual view.
No one desires willingly to becom,
. law breaker. a deeeiver or an eva
der, and yet he must be all OF these 4
he follows the old maxim. When II
Rome you must do a. the Romans do.
Is this truef Go look At the asses
sors books and see where men who
are known to be wealthy get on b,
paying little or no taxes on persona
property assessed by themselves.
Do self respecting men care to fol
low this example?
A shrewd business man may have
large investments In bonds and fail L
return them for taxation by many vel
known practices of evasion. He re
ceives the full return on his invest
ment.
A widow or orphan may be lef
bonds and the estate may have to b.
settled In court The revenue agen
finds It out and sues for omitted as
sessments Of former years and the as
SCISSOR puts them on the tax list Tit
widow and orphan are compelled t
pay two or three per cent in taxes ant
live on the remainder
Is such a system fair?
Taxes, In free self-governed coun
try, should be the least matter to wor
~ about and yet they can be made 81
unfair and irksome they drive people
away and keep others from coming in
This is happening all the time in Ken
lucky.
We have a chance to remedy thi
evil and II disregarded now we will
have to wait another FIVE years befor
It presents itself again.
1t is a clear duty to vote for thi
constitutional amendment at the No
vember election and every citizen II
the state should vote himself and urg
his neighbor to do the same II Ken
t,,.Ir,r. A. axror 20 h. araU0ad ont NJ H.