Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-11
Commissioner Expects EquaIiza-
ton Plan, Now Effective, to Set
tie by Next Year All Outstand-
ing Obligations and Cut Rates.
Honest Return of Values Urged
to Wipe Out the Inequalities of
Assessment and Save Georgia
From Unnecessary Humiliation.

State Tax Commissioner John c.
Hart believes the State will be able,
under the operation OF the new tax
equalization law, which went into eff
feet on January /, to pay every dollar
Of It's non bonded Indebtedness by
January /, 1915. and that thereafter
the tax rate may be perceptibly low
cred
The Commissioner. whdle believing
Georgia TO be rich and substantially
PROSPEROUS thinks that conditions
will be greatly relieved by getting
away from the Anticipated and unfair
system Of taxation under which The
State has been struggling for years.
Commissioner Hart in a statement
given out Saturday. sSys:
THE State OF Georgia is in debt, on
current accounts, approximately
$3.50, 900, This debt is carried large
~ by the school teachers Of the
State, a most respectable class Of
Georgia citizens, but generally de-
pendent upon their salaries for sup
port. Many of them have been so
pressed by personal obllga lions as 10
be forced to sell the States promise
TO pay to money lenders, as II the
State. was insolvent Georgia is not
insolvent Georgia is rich This fact.
however, instead of pallating the
States failure to meet her obligations
rather accentuates the States delin-
quency.
Wants Honest Returns
"If the people Of this State will,
this year. return the property which
is subject to taxation at its fair mar
ket eValue, as the law requires, the
State viii pay her current debt of
over 81 $50 600, and the Governor and
the Comptroller General can cut tho
tax rate from mills to 3 IL mills.
This should be done, not alone be-
cause 1t is Just and right, but be-
cause in doing so 1t would make the
State a conspicuous example OF hon
esty, thrift and progress.
THE return for taxation in this
State on money is less than S26 900,
600. yet the report OF , e State Bank
Examiner shows there was on deposit
IN the banks OF this State si70, 000,-
coo.
"The return OF merchandise for
taxation in this State is SAL 900 600,
vet the report of the Insurance De-
partTnent of this State discloses that
on merchandise and houses the insur-
ance companies have issued policies
amounting to s426,571, 996
"The financial problem which con-
fronts this State Is critical and seri-
Gus. The existing condition OF a de-
pleted treasury and tax rate
strained to its limit, whereby in
creased appropriations are not re-
fiected in the tax rate, is obliged to
be fundamentally wrong. and viola
tive Of the rule OF checks and bal
snces characteristic OF our organic
law.
Taxes at High Point.
while 1t is true the tax rate is not
raised, but only for the reason 1t can
not, for Il already stands IN the very
highest notch which the Constitution
Of the State permits
EVERY man who loves his State
should feel It his duty TO come to the
States rescue, The knowledge has
gone abroad that the State is not
paying her debts. Some of the sister
States deride Georgia's situation and
chide her boast of being the Empire
State of the South
THE people of Georgia now under
stand the situation. and the people
OF Georgia now give notice to Geor-
gia's sister States that Georgia will,
on December 20, 1914, pay her debts
and claim again her rightful place in
the eisterhood, redeemed"