Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-05-05

Frederick Sulens, editor of the Daily
News. They were held for further |
examination.
the support of the State University and |
the Normal Schools, and cents goes
to the public road fund; cent goes to |
the sinking am fund fund OF the s state ate to take e
the common school fund: and only Is I
cents is devoted to defraying the ordin-
airy expenses of the government. It
wilfSthis be seen that out of every 40
cents collected by the state 25 cents is
paid back to the people for maintain-
ing the schools and roads of the state.
L, therefore respectfully submit to
the good sense of the people that the
rate of taxation under the present law
for state purposes when it is kept in
SO excessive as to be cause for serious
complaint, nor is it. 1t is the assess
ment and not the tax people complain
taxation that puts so heavy burden
on landed and other property, but II
the tax rate in counties and cities and
towns is high. it is because the people
have voted the tax on themselves or
because the fiscal courts or the COM
mon councils impose the highest limit
of tax that is allowable. This Is
matter absolutely under the control of
the people in each county. city and
town in the state. They have right
to make their taxes .low or high as
vote as they please taxes for schools
and for roads and contfol the sum their
fiscal courts or councils levy and so
| the people in no city town or county in
the State can in fairness say that their
local taxes have been Increased by any
outside bodies. because as have said.
they ar esolely in the control of the
people in each county, city and town.
In this connection there is another
matter that should be kept in mind
and that is that all of the taxes levied,
I I.x, and for
local purposes are spent in the coun-
ty. city or town in which they are
Levied Not Not one cent 81 II the na tax caty ,eyied
city or town in this state goes to any
| other city, town or, county II the
Ihieh. the people get or should get the
tbenefit of them in schools. roads,
streets and other public improvements
sent laws % are uneo1ai a and T Unfair be-
cause they impose lower rate of tax
| alton on money and intangible prop
erty than they do on lands. 1t is true
as / have stated. that money and in
| tangible personal property does pay q
lower rate of taxation than land and /
am not going to argue that this is not
unequal and unfair. I have heretofore
Iendeavored to explain the reason why
it is necessary that this class of prop
lerty should be taxed at a lower rate
troll. aS
have said that was opposed to. the
/ repeal of the present law and return
to the old system of assessment and
taxation but I believe that the present
laws may be so amended as to remove
\ the principal objection that is now ur-
I suggest is that lands be exempted
entirely from state assessment and
taxation. In other words, / would
leave the assessment of lands and the
taxing authorities in each county, city
and town in the state, leaving it to
them to fix the assessment and the tax
rate. free. from the control and inter
ference of any other body Under this
system, the people, through the agency
of their local taxing officers could see
! fair value. In short, they could exer-
else their own judgment In respect tC
the value that should be put on thei1
own lands for !, assessment ssn, purposes. pose II II
could spend in their own way and fol
their own public purposes all of the
money derived from the assessment OF
l In all cities and towns this method
: is followed because every city. ant
: town assesses for its own purposes ant
in its own way all the property sub
: ject to taxation and it spends in its
, own way and for its own purposes al
: the tax that is collected see nt
? good reason why counties should no
. do the same thing and this is, what
propose to let them do. 4
7 Now, this would take from the stat,
revenue on the oasis OF the dSSSSSIIltD
I of 1917. the latest one, available. prop
-terty of the assessed value of SSS1,Q45.
y 799: <he Accent tax on which amount
3 to $s.54S.1s3. and it would be necessary
J. to make up this amount from othe
y sources in order that the state nigh
have the same amount of revenue tina
9 is derived from the 40-cent tax oniland
Now, the question is-How is thi
7 sum to be made up to the state? Wher
= is it to come from?
9 Speaking. briefly and IN genera
1aA<> cfo 70 x-e,.fra.
!, can easily be- made up by giving al
q the tax on corporate property to
y state except such as may be levied 70
2, rigid inquiry into the value of intangi
e be property and Putting millions ol
y the assessment roll that now escap
Q that have not been touched since laot
= to correspond with the new conditions
e ] shall not unduly extend this al
e into into details @ hex in Explaining the method
: by which the deficit in the state rev
;, enue may be supplied. It is sufficien
9 here to say. that the pen in the stat
II ful study have no doubt that the defic
lit caused by exemption of land fror
= state taxation can be made up WITH
e out putting any greater burden %
e property than 1t now bears and this
e my opinion after somewhat extende
g Investigation of the subject a littl
e later shall explain the matter fully.
~ In taking the tax on corporate prop
2 erfy from the county and giving, it I
.e 1.-The state. many of the counties Wouls
z Of course, sustain some loss, but tbi
II they can easily supply By pursuin
st different, practicable and lawful metf
IS DDS that will make the local burden
5. much lighter than they are now, =
te view Of the fact that All landed prof.
s fios5' = = 'SS6rseisfs t6eS ~ {6kt 4
lsdR od s|: ssns5t e s0s doss ses. ss 3
1e lc1alm if olex1 q x1xfect 9o!u{z4u e