Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1917 — System of Scientific Taxation Needed to Eliminate Evils of Present Methods [ARTICLE]

System of Scientific Taxation Needed to Eliminate Evils of Present Methods

By JOHN G. LONSDALE

Preiident National Bank of Commerce, St. Louis

Taxation should be fegafde<Uas’a7.'sii<Ted right. 7 here has never been a time in the history of this nation when the problem of meeting the burden of excessive taxation has pressed more heavily upon the people. It seems to me that both federal and state governments ought to in justice .should wt-bfr.xwifcL tinned. When taxation is easy, extravagance increases. If a. state or—municipality reaches hew sources of income each year, in its search for taxable wealth, the chances are that it will soon become committed to forms of extravagance which would hot be attempted if the poor taxpayer was not a shining mark and an easy vicfim. The railroads are taxed almost to death, and the wonder is that they can render the service that they do, Tinder conditions as they are. Our taxation systems each year are becoming more involved, and in these days of thrift campaigns, when the whole nation, is trying to practice economies, our attention should be turned to readjusting our facilities of taxation, so as to lighten the burden rather than to increase it. In these days of enormously increased living expenses it behooves us to develop a system of scientific taxation which shall be free.from the growing evils of the present movement to make the few carry the burdens of the many.