Show WHY PROPERTY TAXES ARE HIGH why should property which earns only 25 per cent of 0 the income produced in this state stale pay a all I 1 ot of the direct taxes tor for support of 0 the state the schools counties and municipalities pali ties this Is a question placed squarely before the voters ot of utah its as a result ot of material recently announced by it B hammond member of the state board ot of equalization the best data obtainable on the cresent distribution ot of the tax burden show clearly that property in recent years earned only about 70 average annually while the income from personal services amounted to 10 this Is based on information compiled from federal reports dealing with statistics of various kinds and was obtained by the utah board of equalization from dr john C watson director ot of the bureau ot of taxation and statistics ot of the illinois agricultural association since utah 6 operates under the general property tax system all ot of the paid annually in d direct property taxes tor for the support ot of the state and its subdivisions Is obtained from taxing property in other words three fourths ot of the income of the state pays no direct tax tor for the support of 0 the schools or the state and local governments furthermore tangible property Is carrying per cent or almost the whole load while intangibles are allowed to escape with the payment of only 14 per cent in the face of 0 such startling inequalities in the distribution ot of the tax burden it Is no wonder that some property has been lazed taxed to the breaking point it Is less wonder that the taxpayer who has been carrying this load should want the tax system changed to distribute part of tle tile burden to intangibles or to income it if the ff ures released by mr hammond are anywhere near correct they still show a condition that is jn intolerable tolerable and one which certain ly demand some means ot of correction it the proposed constitutional amendments will open the way tor for the legislature to correct this great I 1 injustice on tangible property then I 1 they should receive a big majority ot of votes from the ho honest test and fair minded voters of this state when the constitutional amendments are placed before them next november ti T R L |