The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-10-20
PROPOSED Ohio TAX
AMENDMENT BITTERLY
DEBATED AT EATON
Especial to The Palladiun)

EATON, Ohio, Oct 20.--A lively int
was staged between Judge John W.
Kreitzer of Dayton and C. A. Dyer, of
Columbus, at farmers meeting in the
courthouse Thursday, which the lat
ter speaker, state farm bureau and
grange taxation expert, had been in
vited to address. Mr.. Dyers talk was
in explanation OF the proposed Ohio
constitutional taxation amendments,
and Judge KreitzeF took exception to
his arguments.
Following Mr.. DyeFs explanation of
the principles and the necessities
which had been considered In drafting
the amendments, Judge KreitZer Sc
cured the floor, and made a strong
appeal for the continuation of the
present system.
ct is the administration OF Che law,
rather than the law ITSELF" he said,
which is at fault. Assessors are dis
honest or inefficient and fail to dis
cover all the taxable property.
Should Respect Constitution
@The constitution is sacred and we
should not lightly tamper with 1t to
effect what should be done by legis-
lation. Certainly no constitutional
changes should be made by popular
vote. II changes must come, they
should rather be made through a CON
vention of representatives of the peo-
pie. Those who are not lawyers can
not be expected to understand these
technical problems
To this Mr.. Dyer countered with the
argument that the people are the
legislation THE preamble does not
say, We, the legislature, but We,
the people"
Amendments are dangerous" said
the second speaker. Instead of
changing the constitution, let us elect
good assessors. and let us educate the
property holders to higher moral
standard,-to be above dishonesty and
concealment of assets. The law is
adequate
Mr.. Dyer, In rebuttal, fatty contra
dicted the last statement saying 1t is
true that more property can be put
on the tax duplicate, but the law Is
inadequate in making no provision for
taxation of nearly half the wealth of
the state, which is, in intangible prop
erty, paying no taxes yet enjoying the
benefits Of government.
Dodge Tax Payments.
No one who owns intangible prop
erty pays tax in Ohio" said Mr.. Dyer
unless he Is a college professor, and
too honorable to dodge, or too ignorant
to know how he can hide his property
or dead and unable to dodge
Besides the $13,744000,000 of real
estate that may be listed by the ap
praisment, there is $14.266 900, 900 OF
: intangibles. with only $S1S, 900, 600 pay,
ing taxes"
To charge made by Judge Kreit.
ger, that the real estate interests are
behind the amendments, Mr.. DwyeI
made full admission, stating however
that real estate bodies came into the
! fight after the grange and farm bu
reau already had laid down their plat
form
"It is the owners of visible property
whose property Is being confiscatet
! by ever increasing taxes, that initiated
] this fight
irresponsible officials, and non-tax
paying property owners are plungins
us farther into debt every yeGr. They
are issuing bonds for extravagant anC
unnecessary improvements, wasting
the money, issuing new bonds to pay
off old ones, even issuing bonds to pay
the interest on older issues. The in
terest alone on the state debt thi!