Show TAX PROBLEMS IS discussion INVITED the tax problem like the poor is always with us progress in state county and city demands revenue increased revenue means more taxes discontent means revolution discontent more more taxes means more there is the progression which amory h tory records here in utah as in other states we are trying to secure modern conveniences paved roads water light in fact the things that make life worth living the only system tor for raising revenue so far as known and tried is the taxing of the property owner the reward for taxpaying is the right to vote the transient who is caught by tho the poll tax collector has the same rights to the franchise that the home owner has the more improvements one makes around his home the highers goes his taxes thus placing a premium on indolence and shiftlessness this is one of the big questions that confront us in 1922 to solve the tax question so that the burden will fall more evenly on the people of 0 this c state A case in point and there are hundreds like it A man well known here acquired a fraction of a city lot his tax on this amounted to less than 1000 per year he borrowed money and built a home for himself and family his taxes immediately jumped to 82 per annum an increase of nine times the value of his lot he could have rented for little more than his tax bill that is a boneheaded bone headed method of taxation here is the ideas 0 of one citizen who is thinking over the tax problem chas L bean he has the germ of a possible way out of the unjust tax method of the present day here is what he says richfield utah december 13 1921 editor reaper I 1 would like to add my mite to the tax problem everyone seems to agree that taxes are too high and revenue not sufficient I 1 think that the property tax system is entirely wrong and there is no remedy as long as we attempt to make 50 per cent of the population pay the taxes tor for the whole I 1 think that everybody should pay taxes from the president of the united states down to the smallest wage earner each should pay a certain proportion of every dollar he receives I 1 feel sure that 5 per cent would be plenty to pay all government state and city expenses it is no harder for a man who makes to pay than it is for one who makes to pay we have thousands of men both americans and foreigners who draw good wages all the time and never pay taxes while the man with a little real estate cattle or sheep is taxed until it is impossible tor for him to live and pay his taxes take for instance a man who hires ons one thousand men and pays them a wage of 4 per day he should be held responsible for the collecting of the tax of his employees instead of paying them 4 he should pay and give each one a tax receipt tor for 5 per cent he has paid for taxes the laborer would file his tax receipt with the county treasurer as a check on cirl the amount collected I 1 think there should be two kinds of taxation only income and sales tax everything that is sold should be taxed cattle sheep hogs or any kind hind of produce real estate or anything else for example if a man raises some hay and wants to feed a bunch of cattle he goes to the cattle raiser and buys 2000 worth instead of paying 2000 he will pay 1900 and give the man a tax receipt for maybe the man would run shy of teed feed and buy worth of hay and worth of grain to finish them 91 off f instead of paying he would pay collecting 5 per cent ce nt and giving receipt for same then he would sell them for the man that absi bryg them says here zou you owe taxes and I 1 will have bavo to collect all tight says he iTtS here are my f alt you may n sold hold 0 alf 40 1 system now Tw I 1 w tills th would oum theory soe like to might see ittin it not auf 2 appeal in 11 dodl to some and if there is any bettey jl 74 7 4 nf t k yours truly CHAS L BEAN henry R ellis of salt lake city has issued a small pamphlet devoted to the tax question in which he advocates the removal of the present tax system from property to a sales and wage tax system that follows somewhat the lines of mr beans argument which will bo be reproduced it if enough discussion of the tax problem is invoked by the present suggestion there can be no question but what the present tax system is wrong it is unjust and discriminating in its operation there should be a somewhat what uniform method of taxation other than the property tax of the present system the reaper invites discussion are arc you yen satisfied with present taxation and methods if not what nhat can call you suggest to improve the tax estem raise the revenue and keep progressing |