The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1917-01-17

take this chance in view of the con-
stitution of the State which we con-
tend prohibits such a donation or
release. Section SO reads as fol
lows:
"The General Assembly shall have
no power to release, extinguish, or
authorize the releasing or exiting
uishing, in whole or in part, the in
debtedncss or liability of any corpo-
ration or individual - this Com
monwealth, or to any county or mu-
nicipality thereof"
Again, we are not opposed to a
tax commission IL, in the creation of,
and the powers given to it, the sub
stantial rights of the citizens are
preserved. The one proposed by the
bill consists of three members, the
only necessary qualifications of each
is that he be citizen of the State,
freebooter, 80 years old, and either
Democrat or Republican. They
may all live in the same county or
city. No bond is required. and yet,
they are given unusual and eXtraor-
binary powers. They actually fix
the value of every species of proper
ty in the State for taxing purposes.
Not only that, but they say how
much the combined property of any
one class in each county shall be
listed at. True, the assessor takes
a preliminary list which with the
transfers are sent to this Commits
sion. Then the County Board of
Supervisors are directed to bring
the value of each class up to what
ever this Commission think it should
be, or feel disposed to assess. Thus,
the assessor and the county board
simply become apportionment Off
GERS and not in fact assessor and SUI
pervisors of assessments. If these
officials fail to raise the assessment
up to the Commissions figures, then
it, (the Commission is authorized
to re-assess the county at the coun-
tvs expense, no part of which is
paid by the holder of intangible |
The information furnished the
by these real estate |
transfers is worthless, because a |
large number of conveyances, and in !
the cities practically all of them, re-
cite zone dollar and other consider
ations." In fact, real estate agents
generally advise this for the pur-
pose of concealing the real consider
alton. This is not practiced so much
in the farming sections. The last
legislature had an opportunity to
correct this and pass a bill requir-
ing the real consideration to be stat
ed, but the proposition was turned
down. No suggestion in this Tax
Commissions report that this prac-
tice be stopped, and no such provis-
ion in any of the proposed bills.
The commission is to fix the val
ues OF railroads, public service cor
porations and distilled spirits, which
duties have heretofore been per-
formed by the Railroad Commission
and the Board composed of the Au-
dtor. Secretary of State and Treas
urer, all elected by the people; and
in recent years no Taxpayer can, as
We believe, justly contend that these
have not in these matters
served faithfully and admirably.
The railroad commissioners are
elected from districts, and they are
given no such far-reaching powers
as the proposed commission is CIV
en-. Powers that vitality affect the
property rights of the humblest cit
izen as well as those of the gigantic
railroad and the bondholder. Why
not divide the State into districts
and let the people choose these i'm
portant officers? We believe this
would be more democratic and salts
factory.