The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-04-12
REVENUES FORCE
ADDED TAXES
Coal, Gas, Oil Inhertances,
Laundering, Manufacturing
Sources Of Assessment.
IMMENSE STATE EXPENSES
Legislature VIII Probe officials as to
Departmental Expenditures-one
Bill Provides for a Constl-
tutlonal Grading.

Harrisburg.
The General Appropriation Bill
carrying the funds for the conduct OF
the State government for two years
commencing with next June, was pre-
scented to the House in preliminary
form and accompanied by proposed
revenue raising bills which will pro-
vide for an estimated increase OF the
revenues to the extent OF about IL
million dollars a year, II they are en-
acted.
The general bill will be Immediately
sent to the Appropriations Committee
ito complete and It will inaugurate Its
own hearings, which will include quizz-
ing Of some department heads while
the ven measures will be con-
sidered and held awaiting develop
ments.
The general bill will carry between
forty-two and forty-four millions. 1t
will represent what the Economy and
Efficiency Commission has agreed
upon and where the commission has
not had time to go into everything
the estimates will be put In as more.
the total Of the estimates Is sixty-five
millions. Last session the general ap-
preparations were forty millions. The
committee will likely call s~ome-depart-
ment chiefs to ask why money is
needed and whether attaches were
employed on political business the last
year and a half with the bills paid
by the state.
A summary OF the new revenue
measure is as follows, SO far as pre-.
pared:
Would Amend Constitution
One proposes an amendment to Sec
ton 1, Article O., OF the Constitution,
by which subjects OF taxation may be
classified for the purpose Of laying
graded or progressive taxes. The
amendment would read as follows:
All taxes shall be uniform upon the
same class Of subjects within the ter.
ritorial limits of authority levying
the tax, and shall be levied. and col
lected under general laws, and the
subjects Of taxation may be classified
for the purpose Of laying graded or
progressive taxes; but the General
Assembly may, by general laws, ex-
empt from taxation public property
used for public purposes, actual pur-
poses Of religious worship, places Of
burial not used or held for private
or corporate profit, and institutions OF
purely public charity. This amend.
ment would be voted on by the next
Legislature and submitted to the peo.
pie at the general election following,
II passed by the Legislature.
A direct inheritance tax provides
that, after proper appraisement, a tax
OF 2 per cent. shall be taken on the
clear value OF estates real, personal
or mixed, situated within the Common
wealth owned by ~decedents, whether
they were residents of the state or
not, no matter to what direct heirs
they may be devised. The tax also
would be imposed on estates outside
of the Commonwealth owned by resi-
dents of Pennsylvania. A discount
of 5 per cent. is allowed for payment
OF the tax within three months after
the decedent's death. The bill in no
way conflicts with the collateral in
herltance tax, in that It applies to di.
rect heirs only, including father, moth.
er, husband, wife, children, lineal des.
cendants born in lawful wedlock, chill.
dren Of a former husband or wife, or
the wife or widow of the son Of a de-.
cedent, or adopted children. The tax
operates also on illegitimate heirs,
their spouses or relicts.
Coal Tax for Highways.
A State tax on coal dedicates half
OF the amount realized to the construc-
lions, maintenance, improvement and
repair Of State and State-aid highways.
1t provides that an annual tax Of 2
per cent. shall be imposed on the
value Of each ton Of coal when pre-.
~
pared for market, which shall be i'm.
posed at the time when the coal has
been mined or washed and Is ready
for shipment or market.
The mine superintendent is charged
with the duty Of reporting the amount
on blanks prepared by the Auditor
General, and these reports must be
filed with the Auditor General, the re.
poting official getting 1 per cent. Of
the sum collected. II the mine super
intendent shall fail or refuse to make
such report, the Auditor General has
the right to appoint a person to make
the assessment, and the mine books
and records may be demanded to aid
in such reports.