The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1913-10-14


Frankfort Ky.--(special) THE ef
forts to secure a better system of taxa.
ton for Kentucky have been per
sistent for hfteen years but owing to
the ironclad restrictions in the state
constitution II Is exceedingly difficult
to secure any change
Tax commissions have repeatedly
been appointed by authority of the
legislatures and these commissions
have unanimously condemned the gen.
eral property tax which was adopted
by the last constitutional convention
ana as the law is constitutional it has
been impossible for the legislature
alone to repeal IT,
However. the last general assembly
undertook to amend the constitution
as provided by law and this amend.
nent will have to be ratified by the
people at the November election and
If il fails to carry It cannot be voted
on again for another ave years
The effect of the present law is 70
drive people and money from the state
and to prevent other people and money
from coming in and building up our
Industries
This is how the general property
tax is regarded by outsiders as indl
Gated In report OF a commission ap
pointed in another state and It ap-
plies In all respects to our present
tax system.
The personal property tar is q
farce. II falls inevitably upon the
comparatively few who are caught
The burden 1t imposes upon produc
ton Is out OF all proportion TO the
revenue It produces.
year after year state and local as
sessing boards have denounced II az
impracticable In its workings and un
just in its results. These recon-
mendations have for the most part
passed unheeded or have led TO in
effectual attempts TO bolster up the
law. 1t is time the situation was
faced squarely. and the tax In ita
present form abolished.
$50 far as the personal property
tax attempts to reach intangible forms
OF wealth. its administration is SO
comical as to have become a byword
Such method of collecting
revenue would be a serious menace
to democratic institutions we're II not
SO generally recognized as a bowling
farce.
But it is not a farce to those who
are fully assessed. These are chiefly
the widows and orphans who ara
caught when their property is listed
nj the probate court. farmers. retail
merchants and others. incorporated OF
unincorporated. with stocks Of gooda
and the small investors who are not
skIllful enough to make non-taxabls
investments"
The state referred to has changed
its tax system and already the receipts
from taxation have increased enor
mously and the peculiar effect Of Il
has been TO lower the taxes on lands
and improvements by securing a great
or revenue from personal property
which had formerly produced little OF
no returns.
Kentucky must increase It's revenues
to keep up It's schools and public In
situations and 1t would be manifestly
unfair TO make the property at present
paying taxes sustain this added bur
den. but under the present law there
is no other recourse.
II the amendment carries and the
legislature Is empowered to classify
property so as to bring under the as,
SCISSORS scrutiny the vast amount Of
personal property now escaping taxa
ton the revenues can be increased
and taxes on lands and houses dinin
ished and what is more important thar
all we will be able to develop our re
sources, maintain our population and
attract capital and people who will
help to build up the state.
Ohio has recently changed its tax
laws and has already been benefited
and Tennessee Is about to renouncs
the general property tax Other
states have either long since abolished
II or are preparing to do so.
The present system In Kentucky was
popular when the country was young
md wealth largely confined to real
ec;ate which could not be hidden
Wealth is now largely in personal
securities which the assessor can not
locate and in consequence this class Of
property escapes almost entirely
Can We afford to neglect this great
question and yet hope to compete with
neighboring states which are less ia
yored than ours naturally but have
the advantage OF cheap money and low
taxes?
II the amendment fails to carry the
next census will show that Kentucky
has moved down another peg or so 10
it's standing among the states ano
those at present paying taxes will in