The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-07-11

ltllS last SGulcuCc dRRlSS " ululs
if not his whole Board, we will
admit it for him. for that is ex-
actly what he is doing, and is
exactly what we, as well as
this committee charge.
1t Is Only Onawing a File to Try
to Repeal the State Tax Com
mission.
On page 80 of its report, this
committee further says:
Some of us may not have ap-
proved the law as enacted.
We may have preferred other
means or another form for ac-
complishing the desired result.
But if this be true. it is Now
none the Less Ancient History.
The law was passed; 1t Has.
Been Sustained by the Courts.
and Is Now Being Enforced.
1t is Only Gnawing File, to
Talk of It's Repeal. 1t is much
More Profitable to accommo-
date ourselves to its operation.
and seek to influence its activi
ties along sane and reasonable
lines, Recognizing 1t as Hence
forth a Permanent Feature of
Our Taxing System.
Regardless of his preconcep-
tions, we venture the opinion
that No Man Can Really Study
the History of Taxation in Any
American State Which Has
Progressed Beyond the Dark
Ages of Public Finance, With
out Becoming Convinced of the
Necessity of Some Centralized
Authority for Administering the
Taxing System, When State
and County Interests Impinge
One Upon the Other. This re-
port has delineated conditions
in our Own State to Very Lit
tie Purpose if it has not Clearly
Indicated the Necessity of Some
Such Intervention here"
We agree with Mr.. Lowe when
he says: Every tax payer whose
taxes are increased , or 3 times
over what they used to he thinks
it hurts much and he will an
swer at the ballot box on Aug.
5th next" That's exactly what
we desire done, and is the reason
we have been giving the tax
payers the truth about this mat
ter so that they may visit the
blame where 1t properly belongs.
Let's see. Mr.. Lowe states
that in 1915, the Tax Collector
of Monroe county paid into the
State Treasury from advalOrem
taxes a little less than $4,000,
and in 1918, a little more than
1900, an increase of $4,000 as
between the years 1915 and 1918.
In the first place, these figures
are inaccurate and incorrect. We
need go no further to prove this
than by calling attention to a
published statement OF The
Madison County Herald" one of
the most violent supporters of
Oscar Johnston in the State.
Even it only claims that Monroe
county paid into the State Treas
ury in 1918 100000. $4,000 less
than Mr.. Lowe claims. How
eyer, suppose we should concede
that Mr.. loves figures are cor
rect, who is to blame for it? Is
the State Tax Commission? No.
Why did not Mr.. Lowe tell you
about the increased expenses of
the State government for the
year 1918 over those for 1915.
and the great increase in the ap-
preparations made by the Legis-
iature of 1918 over those of 1915,
with which the State Tax Com
mission had nothing to do, and
many other things alluded to by
the Joint Committee spoken of
above? The Biennial Report Of
the Auditor of the State page IS
shows that the appropriations
made by the Legislature at its
regular session of 1914 for the
years 1914 and 1915 was only
$S,7S9.S76.l2, as against $685.
1921 of appropriations made
by the Legislature at its regular
session in 1918 for the years
1918 and 1919, or $4.l05.3O3.09
more in 1918.
Will Mr.. Lowe say that the
State Tax Commission made
that increase in the peoples tax
es, when it had nothing to do
either with levying or fixing the
tax rate, or with fixing the ex-
penditures for the support of the
State government. or making APP
preparations, all of which are
done by the Legislature for the
State, and by the Board of SUI
peryiSors for the County? Again.
why did not Mr.. Lowe tell about
the great deficit of the State for
1915, which was commented on
by said joint committee; and
which, of course, was a debt
against all of the Counties of the
State that had to be paid unless
repudiated, and which the Leg
islature of 1918 had to provide
for paying off.