The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1917-03-15
WHY KENTUCKY NEEDS
A NEW TAX SYSTEM.

awake TO the realization that he is
losing money on his investment and
VIII seek for means to make IL pay as
NE knows the loss on the fallow lani
must be borne by ais productive fields.
For twenty i've years under a bane
rul taxing system the State OF Ken
lucky has had lot OF fallow land and
other unproductiye property lying |
around and contributing nothing 10
the revenue and the expense of running |
the government has been imposed on
otter land and property in sight and
easily taxed
The tax rate has been increased |
Thirty seven and one-half (37lz) per
cent and the assessments of property
Sixty $500 per cent but the revenue has
not kept up with the expenditures and
the State has piled up debt OF Four
Million Dollars. which is increasing at
the rate OF Sixty Thousand Dollars per
| month
! The State needs more money for
Schools, Roads and the support OF its
| Institutions and every year will see an
| Increase in the assessment OF the same
i property with a probability of an in
i crease in the tax rate unless some plan
can be found to discover other sources
OF revenue from other property to be
taxed
H There is said to be over a Billion
and a Quarter OF untaxed property in
4 the State which local assessors are
| apparently unable to discover and as
this represents more in value than the
property taxed il is very plain that the
latter is overburdened.
i The State Tax Commission ap
pointed under Resolution of the Legis-
lature of 1916. composed of three
Senators and four Representatives,
from the Counties of Harlan. Bourbon.
y Allen. Lyon. Carlisle. Shelby and JEFF.
/, ferson. OF different political affiliations,
farmers. lawyers and business men
after seven months labor in investi-
eating the tax laws of this and other
States has proposed remedy and the
Legislature has been called in extra
ordinary session TO consider same.
The New Laws embody the practical
and successful methods OF taxation in
? vogue in other prosperous States as
applied to existing conditions in Ken
lucky.
1
AIRY changes. but leave the taxation Of
property for State purposes unsisturb bed
except In the reduction Of the tax rate
from - to 40 tents and propose 20 secure
| additional revenue largely from property
not now contributing ifs fair share Of
taxeS. The only other change In State
, taxes is in placing nominal tar on
Bark deposits which will bring IN a
D revenue Of not less than One Hundred
Thousand Dollars $500. 600 00) from q
source now contributing less than Six
Thousand Dollars tss. oos .eo)-this Is one
o. the certain results.
The only radical change is in elininat-
| Ing Intangible Personal Property. Agrt-
| cultural Implements. Manufacturing Ma
| chineTy and Raw Material In process OF
manufacture from loco TAXATION. by
counties and towns. but as the items
affected represent orly corpa "a lively
/ small part Of the revenue the beneficial
effects Of the change VIII be far greater
| than the losses 10 counties and tewns,
| and the collective advantage will be
| enormous.
The principle and purpose Of classifying
| property for taxation is 10 make all
| classes bear proportionste share OF
| the burden and force property not con-
tributing 10 pay towards the support
| OF the government
| The plan is to tax property instead Of
| persons and nearly every taxpayer
| owns more than class of property the
| taxes OF ALI uniform each class.
| All classes will be taxed for state pur-
| poses. land and improvements and some
| kinds OF tangible property will be taxed
| for County purposes where the owner
| resides in the country and also for Town
| and County purposes II the owner lives
| I'm a Town The reason IL obvious. as
| real and tangible property is valuable
| according TO it's location. and farming
| land Is benefited by County improve
| ments. roads and schools and Town lots
| and improvements by the protection and
1 4af1 ufF rIa1 49, a.
rational and fair 70 all.
| There is no Law that limits the kind Of
| property a person may invest in own.
| but the law may fix the taxes on any
kind OF property long the owner
| OF each class has the taxes TO pay
| on the same class or classes he may de-
eide to invest in. This is the only uni
! form plan OF taxation ever devised
II man resides in a Town or City he
| should pay for the privilege in Town or
City taxes II he prefers the country he
should pay for the County expenses. As
| both live in the State both should pay for
the expenses OF the State government
| II is well founded theory that the
| workman should not be taxed his
tools. which are his third hand, and to
| tax the implem nts OF the farmer or the
| machinery of the factory Is unjustihabla
| under any pretext- The Constitution,
| however. forbids the exemption of such
| property from State taxation and the
| best that can be done Il TO eliminate It
| from town and county taxes.
| As TO Intangible Property. on which the
| development of the State depends. there
| Is sense In throttling the sources of
wealth. and as sumptuary laws simply
| drive such property away. the approved
| modern method of taxing II is by limit
| ing the tax TO the State revenue and
| thereby bringing II to light Such prop
| erty Invited In it's productive income can
not and will not stand auadrupie taxa
| ton for State. County, Town and schools
| consuming from one-hah to >wo-thirs1
| of the interest. and II is neither sub
| 5ect 10 equalization exemptions: As
other personal property; and assessed at
higher percentage. when located the
| tax amounts TO practical confscation and
| In consequence IS per cent of IL now
! ey AIDES an taxation
These are the problems the Legislst ure
has 10 meet and may they act wisely and
| fairly TO all should be the prayer of ALI