Year: 1859

Tho Rate Of State Tax.

 The rate of State tax in Arkansas is one sixth of one per cent, or sixteen and two thirds of a cent on each one hundred dol lars. This is all the State tax paid, there being no State poll-tax, no poor rate, canal rate, sinking fund, railroad tax or school tax. Georgia is said to have the lowest rate of tax of any State in the Union, being about one-thirteenth of one per cent, or seven and half cents on the hundred dollars. This is the State tax proper. We do not know how it is there during the cur rent year, but formerly there were other taxes which, when added together, made up more than the rate now paid in Arkan- sas. It has become the fashion just now for the opposition presses in this State to represent the taxes in Arkansas as enor- nous. One says the people grown under oppressive taxation another, that our taxes are enormous, and the belief seems to gain ground that the taxes paid here are greater than elsewhere. We have examined the reports of the comptrollers and auditors of at least twenty different States, and to our surprise find that the rate of State tax in Arkansas is lower than any of them.- Throwing out cities, where the rate is often two or three per cent, and some of which collect more taxes in one year than Arkan sas has collected since she has been State, we propose to confne ourselves exclusively to the State revenue We have not had an opportunity of seeing the reports from Rhode Island, Delaware and some others of the New England States. Remember ing that these are, some of them, not larger than one of our counties, are densoly pc pulated and contain wealthy mercantile or manufacturing interests, it is more than probable that the rate of taxation there Is very low. We now propose to those edi- tors who have made this assertion to con vince them that they are wrong. Wewill do it in this way. They shall name any three States in the west or southwest, and we will send them the official reports of the authorities of those States for the year 1858 In return they shall institute fair comparison and tell their readers the rates of taxation in each State What say the Shield and the Balance to this? We are free to admit that these editors believe that Arkansas has a higher rate of tax than other States, and if convinced to the contrary will do the State the justice to publish the truth. We do not ask them to take our say so for it, but will send them the documents. If they are willing to ex anime this subject fairly we remark that all the kinds of State tax should be added together For instance; Texas has or had lately State-tax of one tenth of one per centum, but in addition to this she had State poll-tax of fifty cents on each male between certain ages. Now if these are added, it will about make up the amount paid our own State. Arkansas has been the stalking horse on which others have hung accusations long enough. It is sad to see the presses of the State doing her injustice. We make this assertion after close and full investigation. There is no place in the United States where the same number of persons and amount of property that there is in Arkansas, pays less tax than is paid here, if all the taxes are emu merated. Taking our city, levee, road, county and State taxes, and adding them together, the whole would not make one and a half per centum, and in some States this is exceeded by the city taxes alone.- We suggest to the editors of the Balance or Shield or any other editor of the State that he or they will name any three States in which they suppose less tax is paid than in Arkansas, and we will mail or cause to be mailed such official documents as will ena- ble them to see if they are right or wrong.