Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-05
TAX BURDEN DOUBLES
FIFTH OF WEALTH EXEMPT
SAYS CONFERENCE BOARD

Remarkable growth in the in
creasing burden of taxation in the
United States is revealed in 4 report
just made public by the National m
dustrial Conference Board. of 10 East
| Thirty ninth street, New York, which
represents the results OF a years
study by the boards research staff
of the whole problem of the cost of
government to the people. OF al
| most equal Importance, the board
cites the constantly rising amount
| Of property which has been rendered
by various means exempt from taxa
ton. and the value of which. in
| round figures, is given as fifty-four
billion dollars in 1922. This stupen-
dous sum-" says the report. rep
resents slightly less than one-f1fth
| of our national wealth, and is equal
roughly to one-third of all property
assessed under the general property
tax which forms the bulwark of state
and local government finance"
Another aspect of the report is
! the statement that the board finds
the American farmer paying more
than his share of the nations tax bill,
as related to his income. The fig
ures, says the report, demonstrate
! very clearly that as related to in
come the farmers burden of taxation
! has been before the war and still is
heavier than that resting ON the
remaining economic classes
| Researches were conducted by the
| economists on the boards staff in
! every state and 4 voluminous mass
| of authorities are cited to support
the figures. The report comes at
| time when the country has Just
heard warning against rising taxes
from the Secretary of the Treasury
| Mellon. and when the taxation issue is
| paramount in many of the political
campaigns now being conducted
! throughout the country.
Summarizing the growth of the
country's tax bill. the report shows
that the nation paid last year in
! taxes $7,061 100000 compared with
| $S,363, 100000 in 1921. $2,194, 0O0. 900 in
| 1913 and S1.3S2, 100000 in 1903. In
1922 the taxes collected by the
federal government showed a decline
of $1,526,000,000 as compared with
| 1921. This is ascribed to the re-
| ductfon of income taxes due to the
low ebb, of business in 1921.
| On the other hand. taxes of state
and local government continued to
mount, State taxes increased from
s3o1 100000 in 1913 to. $S46 900. 900 In
1922. Likewise local taxes rose from
Sl,2l9,O00,000 in 1913 to $3301, 900. 600
! last year. This rising ratio of taxa
ton to the national income is also
shown by the statement that II was
IA per cent. in 1913. 121 per cent.
in 1919, 1877 per cent. in 1921 and 12,1
per cent. in 1922.
The tax burden. figured in terms
OF each PERSONS income. is also cited
to bear out the boards conclusions.
The total tax bill last year was
S64.63 per capita, as compared with
sl701 per capita in 1918. This rep
resents. as gagged by income, the
result or six and one quarter weeks
work in 1922 for taxes as compared
with three and third weeks work
before the war.
I'm nutshell" says the board.
all taxes stated in dollars were in
1929 about three and one.half times
as high as they were in 1913 and
twice as burdensome."
The report includes among the
factors entering into the country's
rising tax bill the growing army of
Jobholders, regarding which a pre-
v1ous announcement was made. 1t
iinds added cause for consideration
IN the growth of property of various
kinds which is exempt from taxation.
How much of the taxable capacity
or. the country" the report asks. "by
virtue of. legal exemption bears no
burden at all, or less than it's share 2"
IN getting an answer to this question.
" was necessary to make a special
survey in all the states and the
District of Columbia. In reaching
the total of exempted property as
hfty-four billion dollars. account was