Morris Tribune

COLE GIVES VIEWS
FROM THE STATE CAPITAL
ABOUT
STATE LANDS

Republican Candidate for Governor
Favors the Passage of Broad Constitutional Amendment Regarding
Taxation.

Hon. A. L. Cole in a recent address discussed the question of taxation and made a plain statement of his views on that subject. He said:

"On the tax question I have decided views. The state has developed to a point where the expenditures for governmental purposes has reached an enormous figure. In 1905 more than $22,000,000 was taken by direct taxation from the earnings of our people and spent to run the various departments of our state and municipal administration. When we realize that this sum does not include special local improvement assessments, licenses of all kinds, nor the gross earnings tax of railroads, insurance companies, telegraph and telephone companies and the like, nor the state's income from its own investments, we must be convinced that this is one of the very important subjects which is now before our citizens for consideration.

"A large part of our public expenditures is for objects as to which it is the state's policy to exercise liberality. More than 40 per cent of the total spent goes in one shape or another for the cause of popular education. Our people believe in good schools and approve of their maintenance and improvement. I think in other directions there is room for economy, and I pledge myself, if elected, to investigate thoroughly every avenue of possible waste and extravagance, and to use my influence to reduce and limit outlays wherever this can be done without prejudice to efficient service. But the burden will be heavy, notwithstanding all that can be done in this way, unless we improve our methods of taxation.

"We have now in operation a system which came into existence when business conditions were much different from what they are at present. New forms of wealth have been created and accumulations are held in such shapes which were then unknown, and which our laws contain no provision for reaching. The result is that property of one sort is overtaxed, and property of another sort escapes entirely. For these reasons I am in favor of the proposed tax amendment to the state constitution, which is to be voted on at the coming election. If adopted, it will enlarge the powers of the legislature very materially and make it possible to enact a revenue law in harmony with scientific thought on the subject, and which will more equitably meet the social and economic conditions existing at the present day. If we got no further the first year after its adoption than to rid ourselves of direct taxes for state purposes, leaving this source free for the use of our subordinate political subdivisions, we should have made substantial progress over what we are able to do under our present constitutional provisions."