Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-26
PLAN FOR CAREFUL
TAXLAW REVISION
State Conference to Draft Law After
Adoption OF Amendment, Nov. 4,
Is Suggested.
WOULD CONSULT ALL LINES
Agriculture. Labor. Industry. Business.
Officials. Etc, Should Agree on Bill,
Says Committee Secretary.

Springfield. III. July ga general
state tax conference. TO be held after
the adoption OF the pending tax
amendment to the. constitution and 70
be representative Of all groups Of tax
payers and citizens and Of all public
officials having to do with the levy
and collection Of taxes. is the plan
suggested in a letter just made public
by County Treasurer George W.
Schwancr. secretary Of the County
TrcasUreTs' association of Illinois.
Creation Of d drafting committee
representative Of each group in the
conference. to take up the revision OF
personal property tax laws along lines
which would be possible after the
adoption Of the pending amendment,
and prepare an agreed measure for
presentation to the general assembly
next winter, also is suggested. The
letter was written 10 Mr. SChWaner
by Secretary Douglas Sutherland Of
the Illinois tax amendment commit
tee AT the instance Of Chairman Frank
J. Mann of Gilman and Vice Chairman
5 b. Montgomery of Quincy and
other directors of the committee in re-
Spouse to a request from Mr..
Schwaner that the committee present
TO the next meeting of the County
Treasures association, d specific tax
revision program.
The need for care and representa-
tive participation in the task of tax
law revision, and the impOssibility of
. securing the necessary general par
ticipation before the November cleo
ton are pointed out in the latter TO
MIR. Schwaner, which reads:
Task Not Light One.
1.-THE revision in deail of our ler-
= h ,r,+
TO be undertaken lightly. While it may
be true that no change (at least none
which a sane person would cOnsider)
could be worse than the present sys-
tenn. yet we must take every precau-
tiOn possible so that the revision shall
not be merely a change, but a remedy
and an Improvement, In planning such
d revision we should keep in mind
that the prime objective Of any tax
system is to provide necessary reve-
nues for the expenses OF government,
and second, to provide those revenues
by such means as will distribute the
burdens of taxation most justly and
equitably To approach this ideal
many problems must be met. many re-
adjustments worked out, and many
widely divergent interests consulted
and considered. The appoTtiOnment of
revenues TO be raised would Of itself
constitute q problem calling for the
best and most practicable experience
and advice obtainable, and in this as in
other problems the advice Of expert
enced gentlemen like yourself and your
fellow county treasurers would be in
valuable
should Consider All Interests.
In the desired revision no one in
terest should get the better Of any
other or of the community. With so
many apparent evils under the present
system felt by every class in the state
an equalization of present tax bur
dens with injustice to none and some
degree Of benefit to all should be en-
tirely possible To bring this about
however, would necessitate a harmoni-
cation Of views and interests, written
into a bill for a personal property re-
vision act, and agreed to before its in
PRODUCTION into the general assembly.
Such an agreement in our judgment
could be reached best and most salts
IaCtOrily through a conference repre-
sentative Of all the groups listed be-
low, and possibly others. which would
in turn work through a small but rep
Tesentaive and able committee on re