Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-29

of one per cent on the gross pre-
miums of all insurance companies.
pennsylvania differs in the meth
cd of her collection of revenues and
system of taxation from any other
State in the Union, and as a matter
of fact is the only State which col
lects no personal property tax.
THE fact should also be borne in
mind that under old lows manufac-
turing corporations are entirely ex-
empt from taxation. That is, no
part of their capital stock bears any
part of the State tax If 1t is entirely
employed in manufacturing. In this
respect we also differ from every
other State in the Union, with the
exception of California, Delaware,
Connecticut and West Virginia. In
the formation of our tax laws it has
always been borne in mind that the
State should encourage the location
within her bounds of all manufac-
turing corporations, recognizing the
fact that they brought to us in
creased and added wealth in many
ways. The principle of relieving
them from taxation was that of en-
couraging and fostering their de-
velopment.
Under the now existing tax laws,
and by a businesslike and proper
administration and application of
the same, there has been collected
during the first fiscal year of the
present Auditor Generals admins
tration the sum of $44,165,36S.74 as
against a collection of $31,700,-
4S9.35 during the previous fiscal
year, making a net increase of $12,-
464,S79.30. Total payments of S42,-
407, 7,064.S0 have been made as
4,
last fiscal year of his predecessor,
with a balance in the treasury at
the end of the fiscal year of S9,-
SSS,9SS.55.
In no one year has ever such a
large amount of revenue been col
lected. This was accomplished with
out the help of any additional rev.
enue measures, excepting that
which came from the operation OF
the direct inheritance tax act of
1917 under which was collected the
sum of S2,643, ,462.13.
THE Auditor General is confident
that with a systematic and proper
application of the laws now existing
and with the APPROPRIATION of suftl-
cient sums to the Department to per-
NIT of the systematic and scientific
application of the laws and facilities
taxes and revenues, the collections
for the coming year will not only be
equal to that of the last fiscal year
but will exceed same to some con-
siderable extent. He is assured that
the present laws provide ample
means for all the States present
purposes and it has been his con-
scientious endeavor from the time
he assumed office to see that the
powers and duties of his Departm
are properly and equitably applied
and that the taxes due the State
are not only property levied and
assessed. but also Immediately col
lected. He found upon entering office
about $12,000,000 of delinquent
taxes and Immediately put in opera
ton a system for the collection of
same. During his first year he sue
ceeded in collecting S1,500,000 of
these delinquent taxes, and did this
at a surprisingly nominal expense to
the Commonwealth. He also found
hundreds of cases in which the cor
porations had appealed from the tax
settlements made by the fiscal Off
GERS. These have been adjusted, with
the exception of q very few, either
by composition or by final adjudica-
ton had in the court of Dauphin
county.
LAS above stated these revenues
of the Commonwealth have all been
collected without the imposition of
any tax whatever upon the manu-
featuring corporations OF the State,
and the Auditor General feels con-
fident, that the necessary revenues
can continue to be provided under
the present laws without any re-
course to a tax on our manufactur-
ing industries.