Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-04
GREAT COST OF
STATE UPKEEP IS
TOLD GOVERNORS

HARRISBURG, Pa, Dec. 2.-Dis-
and disbursements before the Cover.
nors' conference here today. Cover
nor William c. Sproul. of Pennsyl-
vania, told of efforts made by fiscal
heads here to raise necessary reve-
nues for municipalities, state and
nation, without imposing a burden
upon the states industries.
In Pennsylvania, the governor said
no direct state tax is levied upon the
property of the people, needed reve-
nues being derived from taxes upon
capital stock, securities and the earn
ings Of certain classes of corpora
tions, upon inheritances and from
fees and licenses.
All possible efforts, he declared,
should be made to relieve citizens
and Industries of burdens made par
ticularly heavy during the last few
years by the expenses of the war.
I'VE are still nursing our infant
industries here" he said, NOR do
we tax our vast mineral products,
the value of which alone amounts
to well on to 100000 100000 a year"
Equal moderation on the part Of
the federal government, Governor
Sproul said, was a more difficult
thing to discover.
There must be some germ in the
Potomac" he said, (which makes
our national statesmen. forget that
the nation is made UP of states; that
those states have functions to per-
form affecting most intimately the
life and welfare of the republic and
that the operations of those activi-
ties requires money in generous
quantities."
Governor Sproul said that the cost
of everything necessary to carry on
state functions had increased so enor-
mously in the last few years that
in all but few states-with Penn
sylvania no xception-deficits and
overdrafts upon appropriations have
actual closing down of the work of
caring for unfortunate. and depend
ent wards of the state"
Incomes and land, he said, should
be subjected to no additional levies,
either by state or nation. The first
of these. he said, We're bearing as
heavy a burden as they could well
stand. Modern taxes upon the utili-
Zation of natural resources, he de-
clared, would not be 50 burdensome,
particularly if states made provision
for making some return to localities
affected, in the way Of RECONSTRUCT
ton and rehabilitation.
The governor said he esteemed it
q happy sign Of the trend of the
times that there was strong ten
dency everywhere to impose taxes in
proportion to the ability of the taxed
to pay, rather than with respect to
the supposed benefits derived from
the government. This, he said, was
indicated by the growing popularity
of various forms of graduated in
come taxation and the gradual get
ting away from poll taxes and the
extremes Of the general property tax.
The committee Of five did not reach
decision on the agricultural situa-
ton and was unable to report at the
morning session. Governor Beckett,
North Carolina. chairman on the
committee, requested an extension
Of time for making its report.
Governor Parker, Louisiana, who
addressed the conference on the
subject of agriculture, and precipi-
tated the discussion. of the gravity
of the situation. declared before the
session today the only way to deal
with the question is to encourage
the farmers.
Parker said he was in favor Of
some sort Of rural credits plan that
would enabl efarmers to dispose of
their products in foreign markets,
the plan of Governor Harding, of
Iowa, to form United States fl
nance corporation similar to the war
finance CORPORATION,