Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-09-25
AMENDMENT TO
LOWER TAX RATE
Chairman of Committee for Adop-
ton of Constitutional Tax
Amendment Explains
Measure.
MODIFIES UNIFORM RULE
So That Intangible Property Now
Escaping Taxation May Be Put
On the Duplicate.

Columbus, Ohio, - (SpeciaD - The
people of Ohio will have the oppor-
tunity at the November election to
vote upon proposed Amendment to
the uniform tax rule A bulletin just
of the committee conducting the tax
campaign says: The Constitutional
Tax Amendment to be voted upon
this fall simply amends the present
uniform tax rule to the extent that
it permits the taxing of intangibles
AS intangibles form only SO of the
total tax duplicate, 92%o of the tax
duplicate will not be affected by the
Amendment but remain under the uni
form rule. The voters will decide
whether or not they want intangibles
taxed, in a way that will get them on
the duplicate According to Devine
the Constitutional Tax Amendment is
simply a provision that will make the
present uniform tax rule elastic
enough to cover intangibles.
The bulletin issued by the Commit
tee for the Adoption of the Constitu-
tional Tax Amendment further says:
"The present uniform tax rule was
written into the Constitution in 1851
and Ohioans have been taxed under
that rule without practically any
change ever since. When the uniform
rule was adopted in 1881 the law
makers had to consider one form of
property only,-tangibles, such as real
estate, live stock, household goods and
machinery. There was next to moth
ing to tax in the way Of money, bonds,
stocks and the like. There were only
two railroads in the state,-one in the
northern and one in the southern sec
tion. The modern corporation had
not yet come into existence. There
were no automobiles. At that time
very little taxable property could
escape the tax collector but there is
now more intangible property on the
duplicate than there was tangible
property at the time the uniform rule
was put into effect. AS result the
uniform rule as it now stands falls
short Of equalizing the tax burden
because it is doing exactly what it did
in 1851-securing practically all rev
enue from tangible property and per
mitting other forms of property to
escape taxation.
Includes IntangibIes
"The proposed Constitutional Tax
Amendment which the electors OF
Ohio will be asked to approve OF
reject at the November election simply
makes it possible to add to the uni
form rule a provision that will provide
for the taxation of intangible property
which is now escaping. That in.
tangible property is escaping taxation
may easily be seen from figures gath
cred by the State Taxing Commission
which show that although there were
514,334,213 in assets and resources
in banks and building and loan asso
Citations last year there was only $183,
234,361 in monies returned for taxa
ton and the grand total of all
individual personal property returned
was only SLIGO, ,421 ,480, or two billion
less than the total assets and re
sources of banks and building loar
associations In the state. The effect
Of the proposed Amendment would
be to put these millions Of dollars in
intangibles that are escaping taxation
upon the duplicate and thereby lesser
the burden Of those who own real
estate and tangibles and whose
property cannot escape taxation. The
proposed Amendment would give the
Legislature the power to tax in
tangibles at a rate that would not be
confiscatory. This will not only keeI
Ohio money in Ohio but outside
capital will be attracted to this state
to work for our general prosperity"
Has Strong Support
The proposed Taxation Amendment
was drafted by the representatives ol
forty agricultural, civic, financial, In
dustrial and educational interests
According to Chairman Devine the
campaign Ia the interest OF this
Amendment is being conducted by tax
payers wholly Independent Of any poll
tical affiliations. TT Is the public'E
fight, not the fight nor the cause o:
any political party" Devine said
At the present time only seven dol
lars out of every 800 are returned
for taxation. With rate that would
not be confscatory and with the pos
sibility that the tax might be LEVIED
at the source there would be few
dollars which are now escaping tina
would not get on the duplicate.
To Lessen Farm Burdens
The Committee in charge declares
the proposed Amendment will make
it possible to lessen some of the bur
dens on farm property and other rea
estate and on the homes of five mil
lion Ohio citizens. "It will increase
deposits in banks and building anC
loan associations millions Of dollars
yearly that heretofore have beer
suuandered in worthless stocks anc
securities, thereby providing add
tional capital with which to finance
public enterprises and enable thous
ands of Ohioans to secure funds fol
~ nIy h