The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1922-10-06
Governor Taylor in Opening His Cam.
paign for Reelection, Spoke to
Crowd of 5000 at Jasper, in
Marion County, on Mon
day, September rs.

not be removed without closer COM
munication between the people Of the
town and country, and there can be
no adequate communication without
ways and means of transportation.
"The operation of government Is,
to a very large extent, business
enterprise, and the same economic
principles apply to it as apply to that
Of an individual, and We all know
that when an individual allows his
expenditures to exceed his income,
disaster will ultimately follow. AS an
incident to the world conflict, and due
to other causes, in the administration
of governmental affairs we have not
always counted the cost. The end
has been considered without taking
into consideration the means to the
end. Consequently the operating ex-
penses nave far outrun the operating
income. To the end that all useless
positions be abolished, that extrava-
gance in all departments be ended,
and that there be no lost motion in
the functioning Of the States bust
ness, your attention is directed to the
legislative work before US, and your
cooperation is earnestly requested.
81 need not tell you that to carry
out any sort Of program for the ad-
vancement Of rural education and
the establishment of public highways
it is essential to have revenue, nor
is it necessary to suggest that such
revenue will have to be obtained
through some process Of taxation.
To meet and solve the problem of
taxation in Tennessee is the most
difficult task that will confront you.
Taxation Problem.
"We come here instructed and
pledged to contribute our best ener-
gies and abilities toward the formu-
lation of a taxing system that will
more equally distribute the burdens
of taxation. Whatever may be your
individual opinion in the matter, and
whatever theory you may have in
mind, the verdict has been rendered
that the laws now on the books are
unsatisfactory to majority Of the
people of Tennessee.
Within a few days after I took the
oath of office I pursued the question
of taxation with special message
to the Legislature, and in that mes
sage made concrete recommendations
looking toward q reformation of the
taxing system Of Tennessee. It had
been settled by the people of this
State that the method adopted in the
assessment Of farm lands for pur-
poses of taxation, was wrong.
urged the Legislature to correct that
rong, and said:
"The predominant industry In Ten
nessee is agriculture; upon it depends
the success and happiness Of the peo-
Pile, the growth and development of
the State and the expansion Of its
industries and institutions. No in
dustry of any kind or character can
run without bread, and there can be
no bread without the farmers grain
fields. If there be any class toward
whom we should establish q policy
Of liberality, it is the farming class.
81 do not advocate the assessment
of farm lands for the purpose OF
levying taxes thereon otherwise than
according to the language Of the
i Constitution, which says that all
property shall be taxed according to
its value; and I am mindful Of the
purport of the language just quoted
that it means the actual cash value
which the property would sell for al
fair voluntary SALE / do not be-
lieve it was meant, however, that
property should be valued in terms
of some fluctuating standard, or. on
the basis of highly inflated currency
which would double ones taxes a,
the time Of the assessment and ye,
, leave him without remedy during the
| biennial period for which the as
sessment is made; nor do I believe il
! was meant that property should be
J valued at what 1t might happen to
sell for, on account of some particu'
lar fancy, or for that matter, al
! temporary boom prices which obtain
! in some localities and pass with Ger.
! tainty. I think that In what Ia meant
to be guarded against, - well as "a
secure the uniform valuation Of prop.
: erty throu1houf TIA Stata. by TIA