Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1916-03-15
Every Year and Plan Calls for More
New Plan Of Tax Reform Advocated BY The
Asbsyil|s Board Of Trade.

AShevils Board OF Trade.
Briefly stated the N,rth Caro-
lima constitution provides that al
property. both real and personal
shall be listed at full value apt
shat all shall pay the same ta'
rate. OF course, this 10 actua !,
not done and sh srsin lies the ress
on of ell the present inequalit,
and trouble. A change in th'
constitution hiss been tried bu
failed; therefore, she law must b.
drawn in conformity with sh'
present oons.isusion and the OBJ
jsct shonld be to leave no room
for ths present equallties and dis
examinations; and also the lev
should be simply drawn because
the Administrations will be mum
erous aud without techanical ane
legal training.
Heretofore thu property tax law
has bsen drawn with ii 6 idea oi
raisi3g certain sums of money
that We're necessary fer the differ
ent gevernneats. State, County
and C.sy, with not much thought
of whss she uld be fair and JUST to
the owner OF property, New every
owner cf property is willing to
contribute yearly &c me percentage
of bis holdings towards govern
mental expenses, bnt when the
law demands more tran ab ut ten
per cent. ef the av rege possible
incous from property, or o. lta
equlvalens in money value, the
owner will and in fact does evade
payment and in doing 80 has she
sympathy and even assistance OF
every other owner, as we'll rs of
the tax gasherers themselves. As
under our present law the govern
ment ia demanding for taxes forty
to sixty per cent of the possible
income from property or of it's
equivalent in money value, natur.
ally there is evasion, as we'll as ba d
administration.
The ohjsos then should be a
compless reversal of our present.
systsm and TO do this it is neces~
sary to first 6x a low definite sax
rate, 20 that the assessments may
be at full value ard all excuses of
property owners abous the Tax
Rate eliminated. To determine
this rate she average interest rate
over the State shculd be taken az
o base. This, 10 practically ak
psr osnt. The owner can and will
pay not more than ten per cant.
of this six percentum. 1tat
would be sixty cents Oh evsry hun.
dred dollars worth of properly,
real or personal, or a rate of sixty
cents for the com 5ined Stale
County and City taxes obtained
by the property tax system.
The plan nov endorsed and ad'
vccated then is this:
FIRST. Before any tax listing
or va'uation is done let / he legis-
latnrs put a limit of five mills
fifty cents on the hund,ed dol
lars), as total maximum com
bined sax rate shat CAD be Levi
by all governmental bodies State
County and City,
Second. Let t b Q Legislature
then give the Tax Commission
and tho governmental bodies ful
power with which to enforce list
ing and full valuation.
The question of how the five.
mill rate should be divided be,
tween the State, County aud City
il matter of detail. The meil
object is first to fix the idea tha
no form of coed govsrnmen
should demand more than ten pc
cent. of the possible average in.
come from property or of it
equivalents value in money, ane
the detail of division can readil,
be made by those in authority.
Il will not take 60 much asgu.
ment to prove to the owner c
pr perty, who pays ths tax s, s2a
this would be an equitable al.
just plan, as it will be to prove t.
the officials of the press1.t govern
mental bodies shat such Ia,
would raise enough revenue fo
their requirements. But ia an
case the present system is no
raising enough revenue aud agai
if ten per cent. of the poss bi
av%rage income from property i
all that ia iust and rjohs wh