Evening star., 1935-01-04

General national approval Is given
to the order of President Roosevelt for
a Treasury Department investigation
Of overlapping taxation through reve-
nue. collecting by Federal, State and
municipal governments. Results in
the direction of reduced total taxes are
urged, although the way to achieve
economy is found to be elusive.
The only possible relief" thinks the
Port Huron Times Herald, must come
through actual reduction of the costs
Of our various governments, and cut
ting out a great mass Of useless and
sometimes harmful activities" The
indianapolis Times voices hope for an
actual overhauling Of taxes. the build
ing of a co-ordinated system, with no
duplication, minimum of levies on
trade and a maximum application Of
the income tax principle OF ability to
pay"
Something may be achieved in
method and SYSTEM" says the San
Francisco Chronicle, "but what this
people are chiefly concerned about Is
reduction of the load" Referring to
the proposal to submit the findings to
a conference, the Chronicle concludes:
Real tax relief must come largely
from the States. 1t can come through
economy, through larger administra-
tive units and chiefly through drastic
reduction of the number of taxing
subdivisions. If the conference can
focus public opinion on the present
system of everybody plucking the same
goose and scrambling for the feathers.
the way may be prepared not only for
a more co-ordinated system. but for
substantial relief by eliminating a
large number of the pluckers.
Perhaps it would be asking too
much" suggests the Winston Salem
IN. c. journal, ito demand that an
item taxed by one unit of government
be left free from taxation by other
units. But an investigation should re-
veal the situation in such light as to
make it possible to adjust these tax
levies so that too great burden will
not be placed upon the individual and
his business"
Reference is made by the New York
World Telegram to a survey OF the
subject, conducted by the Interstate
Commission on Conflicting Taxation.
and to the suggested methods OF
meeting the situation: 81. Centrallza-
ton of administration by which the
Federal Government would collect all
taxes subject to uneconomic admins
trative duplication. 2. A system OF
Federal credits by which amounts PAID
under the State tax would be allowed
as an offset against Federal taxes up
TO a specified percentage OF the Feoeral
tax. 8. Partial or complete DIVISION
of the tax field by which certain types
of taxes would be assigned exclusively
to the Federal Government and other
types exclusively to the States. 4.
Uniform and reciprocal legislative and
interpoyernmental agreements cover
ing various kinds of fiscal conflicts"
While not urging specific remedies. the
World-Telegram commends these as
representing "the scientific approach" :"
so jumbled has become our tax
,ystem that it functions without rhyme
or reason" says the Asbury Park Eve
ming Press, while the Lynchburg (Va.)
Advance contends that "some sources
of taxation are being ridden so heav-
ily that virtual destruction Is threat
ened," and the Kalamazoo Gazette
calls the present method confusing,
discriminatory and uneconomic." The
WATERFOWL IN. " Daily Times sees
the problem as "a complex one and
not easily solved" '
THE breaking point In this huge
burden" declares the Indianapolis
News, amounting to about 20 per cent
Of the country's income, Is when gov