Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1917-03-02
STUDY RECEIPTS
And EXPENDITURES
TAX BILLS TAKE UP MUCH TIME
FARMING AND REALTY IN
TERESTS DISCUSSED.
CLASSIFICATION OF PROPERTY
Meets With Opposition of Speaker
Legislators Accused of Squandering
Finances-State Auditor Requested
to Furnish Report of Indebtedness.

Especial Frankfort CORRESPONDENCE
Frankfort-By amendment to res
olution proposed in the house of rep
resentatives by Representative Kauf-
man, of Lancaster, calling on State
Auditor R. l.. Greene for comparative
statements of the annual receipts and
expenditures of the various state de-
partments from 1912 to 1916, inclusive,
the house will delve into the receipts
and expenditures of revenue agents.
Representative Hobbs, of Lexington,
offered this amendment, which was
adopted as a part of the resolution.
The house will ascertain the amounts
the revenue agents are making, not
only for the state, but for themselves.
Three representatives of the farm
ing and real estate interests discussed
the tax bills, the former being repre-
| sented by>L. F. Johnson, of Frankfort,
and ]. X. Thompson, of Paris, a mem
Der of the Kentucky Taxpayers
League. Peter Lee Atherton, of Louis
vile, appeared for the real estate in
tereSts.
Asserting that a governor of this
state would be able to build up a pow
| erful political machine if given the APP
| pointment of the members of the state
tax commission, provided for in the
tax measures pending in the house, l..
Frank Johnson, prominent attorney
| of this city, appeared before the house
in committee of the whole as repre-
sentative of the farmers.
Mr.. Johnson opposed the classified
ton of property for taxation. The
| idea of classifying property for taxa
| ton, he said, was repulsive to him be-
cause it lifted the burden of taxation
from one class of property and placed
it upon another. Any man who would
advocate such law, Mr.. Johnson said,
must be prompted by selfish motives.
The state of Kentucky, Mr.. Johnson
declared, would not be burdened with
heavy debt had not the legislatures
since 1906 sQuandered the states mon
ey. In reply to question propounded
by member as to how money had
been squandered, Mr.. Johnson said
partly in the creation of commissions
and the employment of special coun-
| sci for these commissions by the gov
ernor.
The speaker favored a tax on coal
and oil, saying he believed that such a
tax would reduce the states debt.
| There is no reason, he said, why whis-
ky should not pay it's legitimate part
| of the taxes.
Upon motion of Representative
Kaufman, State Auditor Greene was
requested to furnish the house with a
report showing the total Indebtedness
of the commonwealth the average
| monthly expenses of the state govern
ment; comparative statement of the
total revenue of the commonwealth for
the years 1912 to 1916 inclusive; a
detailed statement of the expenses of
the various institutions and depart
ments and a detailed statement of the
receipts of the commonwealth for the
same years.
An amendment to the resolution pro-
viding. that the report shall show the
expenses of the revenue agents and
supervisors and the amount of money
collected by them each year and turn
ed into the state treasury was added
on motion of Representative Hobbs.