The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1922-10-06

Gated subjects. They must look 70
some source For guidance and sugges-
| ltion. Our constitution directs that
the Governor shall from ime to
time give to the General Assembly
information of the state of the gov
ernment, and recommend for their
consideration such measures as he
shall judge expedient." Everybody
knows about the state of the govern
ment in Tennessee; that it is heavily
in debt; that the treasury is now
bare; that another million dollars
will be needed and must Ie borrowed
during the present term; but my
point is that the constitution orders
tho Governor to recommend measures
for relief. Has Gov. Taylor done SO?
Let me ask you what right has
Gov. Taylor in view of this record to
complain of high taxes and what
right has he to tell our land owners
that he is going to relieve them? The
Legislature gave him the bipartisan
commission which he asked, and it's
first result was higher taxes. ! tell
you now that if he had relieved the
land tax as he promised to do, or if
he had made recommendation which
if needed by the Legislature would
have so relieved it, would not have
been a candidate for Governor. MY
know their burdens, and the in
justice of the present taxes. The
land tax in this State has increased
more than $7,000,000 in the last
four years. The most of this amount
has fallen ON the farmers. The Home
is the unit of our civilization. We
cannot afford to tax our home owners
into hotels and apartment houses.
Our dearest institutions are gone
whenever we cease to be a home
owning people. Therefore, I say that
the land tax must be reduced, and
that it is the urgent problem OF today.
REMEDY FOR LAND TAXES.
s. 1t can only be Gone in this State
in this way. The sliding scale as the
method of fixing the tax rate must
be repealed. Then a rate of taxation
must be fixed which when applied to
known assessments will reduce the
land tax. Other means may be tried,
but will prove to be vague and fruit
less. The idea of fixing the tax rate
by the assessment was never sound
amount of the States revenue with
out regard to it's needs or legislative
appropriations. Obviously it is an
idle ceremony to reduce assessments
while the sliding scale remains in eff
feet, for the rates of taxation under
the provisions of the law will al
ways advance as the assessments are
reduced, and the net result in taxes
is the same.
Everybody knows that the same
rates are applied to all kinds Of prop
erty, and therefore the merchant,
manufactures, and all classes paying.
an ad yalorem tax will share this re-
duction. There can be no favoritism
or discrimination. You may theorize
to your hearts content, but this sim
pie and practical plan must be pur-
sued if your taxes are ever reduced.
CUT EXPENDITURES.
How can our expenditures be cut
to come within our diminished rev.
enues? The savings must annually
be not less than $2,000,000 to pro-
vide for this tax reduction, and at
the same time to absorb the present
deficit which is annually recurring.
It is big job to successfully execute
this proposition; that is why l am
askig it. If it were small or easy
ASK l would not want it. 1t will be
l hard and exasperating labor to ac-
complish this result under the pres
sure of our political system, and that |
we'll know Yet it mus. be done, |
lEd l have set my hand to the task. |
It can never be achieved with any
hought of political prefcrment in
mind. Hence 1 have said in both
to the people that 1 will
lot be candidate fer another office
While l hold the governorship-
)PPOSED BY OFFICEHOLDERS.
During the primary I experienced
he unrelenting opposition of many
in our State because L
efused all trades and combinations
With them, and promised an admins
ration of unsparirg economy and re-
orm.
They had en- undeubted right to
ppose me, and they diligently exer-
ised it. All that 1 nov ask of them {
! to respect and observe their pri-
larry obligations to Support the nom
Zee, and that they do not stand in I
he way of my promises to the pes {
lie. Each of them who does not rem {