Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-12
Majority Assert Reform
Measures First Must Be
d-Minority to Take
Fight to House, Floor
Continued from Page y

Continued from Page y
will come along with a better wagon
and pick us up. The repeal of the
tax equalization law would reduce
state revenues between two and
three and a half million dollars, leave
nothing to take care of the insane at
Milledgeville, the deaf. the blind,
and the pensioners, and half Of the
lost revenue would be taken from
the public schools"
Representative Rutherford took
Covington that the equalization law
has not been a revenue producer
and declared that it had raised more
taxes than the people can pay.
Classification Tax Urged
LAS .ong as we have an ad valorem
tax on our books, it will demoralize
ton law argued Representative
Jones. "Only 10 per cent Of the peo-
pie pay an income tax to the United
States, and we don't want a tax like
that in Georgia, where 100 per cent
OI the people D6HGllL IIOu1 WudI 1O
per cent pay.
The trouble with Georgia is that
the tangibleS are not taxed. A CLASH
fication tax is the only system that
will bring them out. Virginia has
classification tax, and real estate
pays only or 5 mills taxes in that
state. Kentucky has such a tax.
and so has Florida. 1t has worked
successfully in all these states.
supplement the ao vaIorem tax
with a classification tax, and the PEG
pie will assess their invisible prop
erty, if the rate is not confiscatory.
The tax equalization law was passed
by bare majority, and it has never
been improved because of the divided
opinion about it, 1t can be amended
SO as to be the honest mans protec-
ton"
Representative Fermor Barrett, OF
Stephens county, read the three re-
peal bills to the committee and de-
clared that every tue UI rnem would
wipe out all tax laws in repeating
the act of 1918, which had itself re-
pealed all previous acts. He declared
that none Of the bills sought to re-
enact the old tax laws, and, there
fore, if they were passed, they would
abolish all tax receivers and col
Electors in Georgia.
THE tax equalization law hasn't
hurt anybody in any county," Mr..
Barrett declared. 1t takes only an
hour in district conferences to de-
eide on the relative value of proper
ties in the various counties. We now
have only one tax authority, while
if we re-enact the old tax law we
would have 160-one in each county
in the state. L hold no brief for the
act of 1913, but we must have some
sort of control.
Farmers Driven Out
THE farmers in many sections of
Georgia have been compelled to sell
every pine stick they have to pay
taxes for the last two years." Mr..
Rutherford declared. 1.-THE homes of
widows have been sold for taxes. l
know of one case where a fifty-acre
farm was sold to pay taxes of $6.
The farms are being deserted. [ run
q farm lf 40 plows and in 1921 [
made only ten bales of cotton. Con-
ditions are driving white farmers
as we'll as negro laborers to the in
dustrial centers, and what is going
to become Of the farms?
1.-THE people of Georgia have
spoken in unmistakable terms on
The repeal of the tax equalization
law. They put one governor out on
account of that law, and as fond as
I am of the present governor, they
will Eut him out too, if their burdens
are not lifted. Economy is necessary,
Il To + no fa
ell s from taxes entirely for a year,
it will be a godsend."
'"The gentleman from Monroe has
made a fine argument for abolish
ing all taxes" replied Representative
Parks. He cited only one specific
instance, which was that Of farmer
who had to sell out to pay six
dollar tax. The state got only a dol
lar out of that six. II one dollar a
wear is too much tax for the state
to collect, What in the world are we
going to do?
THE people of Georgia have bur-
dens, it is true, but the state Of
Georgia is imposing a very small
part of them. The tax equalization
law is not a tax measure. 1t is an
enforcement measure. We can not
hope for, any fundamental change
before 1925, and no result before
1926. L am not so sure of a change
even then. 1 believe the people of
Georgia are going to be very slow
about sweeping out the foundations
on which they have stood for forty
years"
Charges Lax Methods
This is a ways and means com
mittee, and it is expected to get
money to run the state. 1t is
shame that invisible property has
never been taxed in Georgia, but it
could be reached if the present law
were carried out. How many as
SCISSORS make property owners swear
to their returns now? If every man
was forced to take an oath, we
would have from $1,000, 100000 to
SO, O0O, 100000 on our tax books in
stead of a little over $1,000, 900, 900.
There is too much talk in Geor-
gia about a parsimonious policy to-
ward our schools. Georgia gives
more to her schools than any other
state in the south, and five times as
much as North Carolina, the state
we hear so much about these days.
7 am willing to join in the repeal Of
the tax equaliza ton law, but not