The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-08-22

assessment ana substitution therefor oil
simple machinery for the equalization
OF property assessment. Real equaliza-
ton of tax assessments will make il
possible for the tax rate to be reduced :"
referring TO the stand against special
privileges and taxes taken by President
Cleveland IN 1893 and of his defeat tina t
year, but triumphant election in 1892.
He said he thought Alabama had a con-
stltution, but he is beginning to think
otherwise. He deprecated the activities
OF high state officials in STOPPING to pea
nut politics in trying to force through
the legislature measures that are radical
departure from all precedents in the
state.
WHAT KILBY WANTED
Referring to the restoration of the tax
ing machinery to the bill by the COM
mittee, he said he did not know whether
1t was what Governor Kilby wanted or
not, but he supposed II was.
he favored good schools and progress
in all lines, but progress, he said did not
mean extravaganza.
The property in Alabama, he said. is
the fundamental basis of taxation, and
II values are properly equalized all the
revenues needed will be raised if not,
there will be time enough to go into other
avenues.
In his campaign book Governor Kilby
did not say anything about an income
tax, he said, and when he comes here
now and demands an income tax instead
OF equalizing values, he is not carrying
out his prediction promises He charged
that the things demanded now are not
the things promised in the governor
campaign book. He said it is fundamen-
tally wrong to make people who are al
ready paying taxes on their property to
pay other and additional taxes
He closed with the statement that the
machinery given the administration
would raise all the taxes needed.
Senator Prestwood of Covington said
he supported Governor Kilby and wanted
his administration to be a success, but
he could not support the income tax, that
he had been a student of government
that there are two theories of govern
ment one of which is to take all the
money from the people it can and spend
for the people, and the other is to take
lrtie from the people as possible cnd
om' ster the affairs Of thaf state
a0aa1micaIIy.
INCOME IT, TGST
Ee aid the fee1lc tax : q hs vct
aoulo be us AK Il q We pssee the
b. .nEsGipn, bur nj b. cths-44s,-
e'lg 'k'aa s ia- increased e. ..tlon
N SEE if. eseat funds are
Rs o. -af@ sCaa 1r me holes made
g uiust ne 0icu by increased taxa
ew -itments and many new
utfice. re 20 be decreased
Arproving of the causes for which the
trereg ed revenues are to be expended
80 ns'sted all the money needed could
- r.1sed without resorting to these new
methods
Levying an income tax, he said. would
in effect close the door of opportunity.
and shut off initiative. The natural in
creases that it is known will come, he
said. would produce all the revenues re-
CURED that the workman's compensation
act VIII bring INTO the treasury $150,oO9
a year and the convicts 500, 900 or more.
He said the people Of Alabama are ex-
pecting the state to live within its in
come; that it is not expected, and would
not be right to pay off the states debt
in one year
He said he promised his people not to
increase their taxes and he is going
back to them conscious of having dis
charged his duty.
He said it might be question Of a
difference of opinion. but it was also a
question of keeping the faith, that the
promise not to increase taxes should be
kept
Senator .Evins of Hale said his con-
stituents had charged him with the
duty of helping to make the conditions
under which $500, 900 of the best peo-
pie on earth are to live and that he
would not be true to his obligation If
he let this proposed tax go through
without protest He said his people
were as nearly unanimous in opposition
to the income tax as it is possible for
so, 900 or 10000 people to be, and he is
in hearty accord with them.
He opposed an income tax, he said
for several reasons, among them
1t is inquisitional. and exposes to
public view the private business affairs
Of the people.
A DOUBLE TAXATION
II is inevitably double taxation. Ev-
erv man who saves anything out of his
salary or income puts it in property
that pays an ad valorem tax. There
might be some with large incomes who
do not pay taxes, but 80 should not be
required to pay an income tax in order
to reach one who escapes.
1t is unnecessary. The machinery
written into the bill will produce every
penny needed, and the additional reve-
nues will breed extravAganee. He said
Governor Jelks left a sufoius of $1,000
600 and the legislature Alade new APP
rropria lions and the stase spent double
that amount and that the 100000 or
$4,000. 900 raised under this bill will
be spent too.
He opposed making new departures
TOO rapidly, that they should come
gI dually, that the people are heavi-
ly taxed now by federal and state gov
ernment.
He said there is abroad in the land
an insidious spirit that hts almost
swept the country from it's mornings
He said he had heard it said that taxes
sAould be levied on those best able to
pay them, which, to his mind, was con-
trary to the principle Of equal justice
% all He charged that the effort to
levy an income tax is an evidence of a
soc alistic tendency