| Show PROPOSE COMPLETE OF F TAX METHODS IN STAT S1 A T Meeting ng Will Be Held in Governors i Office to Consider Suggestions Made at Louisville Complete revision in the tax methods of Utah will be discussed at a meeting to be called in the near future by Governor William Spry to which will be asked men of prominence in the business world of the state Governor Spry and others who have llave given the matter earnest at attention attention attention are firmly of the opinion that the tax laws in ii this state as liS in hi near nearly nearly nearly ly every other in the union are a good g od deal of a farce faroe and should be changed at once It is for the purpose of discussing the most MOlt feasible plan that the meeting will be held in the office f ce of the governor J J T Thomas secretary of the state board hoard of equalization who returned last week with other members of the board after attending the third annual Interns International International Conference on State and Local Loc l Tax Taxation Taxation Taxation held at Louisville Ky has taken the matter up with the board b ard and will willbe willbe be b one of the men who will attend the meeting Governor Spry has sent to the secretary of the association at Louisville for a complete report of the meeting which will contain detailed reports of the papers read and discussions ions by some of the most able tax tac experts In the world At the meeting in Louisville were representatives representatives from many states and several provinces In Canada The conference was wasby wa waby wasby by far the most important ever held by bythe bythe bythe the association and is yearly reaching out into new fields and bringing in prominent prominent prominent nent figures from other countries to dis die discuss discuss cuss taxation matters Mr Thomas was named by the confer conference conference ence once as member from Utah on the com corn committee committee on resolutions which appointed a subcommittee of seven men to take up the matter if nt corporation taxation x The rr P Un n was atta somewhat but It was finally decided to lay the nut nutter ter before the convention of governors to be held h A Washington in January and ad which will win be attended by Governor Si Spry r rOn On this subcommittee were some iome of th tho ablest able t men mn in the country recognized leaders leaden In the discussion dl of economic mat matters ten tees They were Prof Charles J Bullock of Harvard chairman L Lawson Purdy Purd chairman of the board of taxation of N X Nw w York ork city Colonel Lester t i rig New few Hampshire Mr Haugham chairman of the board of or equalization of Wisconsin Professor Arnett holding the chair of ot economics in the University of North Carolina and J J Thomas secretary of or ort tiLe t state board of equalization of Utah The discussions of these men and others prominent In the work will l he be e brought before the meeting held in Governor office w which h will he be 01 ly the first of a series serit s of similar met meting tn to be held heldon on important matt matter r The governor has bas taken nun much n interest r in sn the rhe matter matterand matterand matterand and is of the opu MH n that it some ome scheme will be b forthcoming wm r will m greatly benefit t Ui th t stat The probable outcome or ot the meeting will bo bl the appointment of a tax un hv by 11 Governor Spry to inquire fn ir IntI tho of f thur i tats states ana ind l Continued on Page 3 I PROPOSE COMPLETE REVISION OF THE TAX METHODS IN STATE Continued from Page 1 information for the purpose of framing laws to be presented pr at the next session of the state legislature Tax commissions have been appointed in several states as a result of the nationwide cry for a change in the present scheme of taxation And all of these are working upon laws to be passed for revolutionary changes In systems in III vogue now noss which are declared to be farcical in so lar tar as they bring Justice or equity to the taxpayer The chief thought brought out at the Louisville conference and the one which will be taken tarten up most seriously at the tax meeting in Governor office will wilt be that of a tax for the maintenance of the state separate and apart from the taxes of the various counties To Tax Service Corporations Under this scheme all public service cor will be taxed by the state and from front alone will the state obtain it revenue This will include steam and electric railroads telephone and telegraph companies electric light and gas com corn companies no matter if they cuter to cus in only one county Under the present system the state fixes the tion for public service companies which do business bu lne in more mare than one county but has no control in matters where a public service corporation keeps within the boun boon dary of only one county The Th taking of railroads and other public service companies from the counties would of course work a change in many instances especially in Box Elder Eider and anti Davis counties but conditions could be adjusted in these those counties it is ip I claimed by a more equitable assessed valuation of o the property In the counties tho the per personal personal personal and real property will be taxed un on der tier the proposed change and with the state tax off the hands of the taxpayers there thre will be little fight against the change it is believed For Instance In Salt Lake county the thea ass a assessed Bed valuation of the railroad and street railway companies is approximately It Is from this amount that the state derives its revenue taken to together together together gether with money from other counties In Salt Lake the assessed d valuation of ot property of all ll kinds is about In taking the public service companies away awa then the city would lose about 10 per cent of its taxable property But with the state getting its revenue from this source and not troubling the city or county count property the state tax of 8 mills would l he be lifted Thorn There to II t now n tRY lav for or I all purposes In Salt Lake City of oi 39 mills i In taking this S 8 mills off a burden hurden of nearly 26 5 per cent would be raised So that in comparing the loss of 10 per cent in taxable property and gaining through the lightening of the burden by 25 5 per percent percent cent there hardly be a protest This is the claim dalm of the men who have hae given the matter close attention and who declare that something must be done to change the present taxation laws of the state To Protect Taxpayers The counties left upon their own re resources resources resources sources would necessarily have to change their system There would of necessity it is claimed be an increase in m the valuation valuation valuation tion of property with a corresponding de decrease decrease crease in the mill tax And even ven In leav leaving leavIng ing the assessed valuations at the bushy low figures now shown on the books of the counties and state stat the revenues would be greater under the change than at present with the public service companies donating to the coun counties co n ties it is 18 held Before this step Is taken however a general revision in the taxation laws are necessary it is pointed out nut to keep kep cities I ties or counties from shoving crushing bur burdens burdens burdens dens upon the taxpayers Under Indor the pro proposed proposed proposed posed system the state would travel alone and the counties alone each taking care of itself But unless held down Jay by y state laws fixing a limit to the amount of taxa taxation taxation taxation tion some administration might burden the taxpayers so heavily that they would cry cr out for help Of course the help IK lp would come in a change in the adminis administration administration but for two years Jears at least they the would v have to stand the burden as best they could In the complete revision which it is declared must come a discussion of the tho changes runs off Into thousands of small channels all aU looking to better conditions It is the plan of Governor Spry to have havethe haveth havethe the th whole matter or at least a beginning along the right line prepared for the next legislature and during the interim to gather statistics and information from other states along the same line It is a problem which has stirred men of means in all ail parts of the nation and has aroused men IMn of Utah to action In placing Mr Thomas on the subcommittee of seven it was apparent that the conference recognized recognized the importance of some action from Utah and the coming importance of this state among those of the nation hence much attention will be paid to the changes j effected here I |
