201 



careful uuiuajjeiiu'iit keeps his furest in uiuisuallv i,'(>(>(l (■(uiditidii pjivs im 

 extra tax on account of the increased yield resultinj^. ... In determin- 

 ing the money value of the yield, use is made of the average prices of 

 timber and other forest products which have in'evailed during m number of 

 pa.st yeai's. 



"On account of the ditHculties inherent in the ground tax, tliis form 

 of taxation has u'encrally declined in importance. In only a few states 

 today is the ground tax the principal method ot taxing forests. In most 

 progressive states the ground tax remains only as a supplementary tax in 

 a sy.stem based primarily upon other methods of taxation. 



"The Income Tax. — Most European states have as a mire or le.ss 

 hnport.'int part of their revenue system a general income tax. This is a 

 tax upon incomes from certain specified sources which include i>retty much 

 .ill important sourc-es of incom!\ The income from forestry is subject to 

 the income tax where such a tax exists. . . . 



"The income tax, unlike the ground tax, is a personal tax. Instead of 

 assuming a certain normal income, as is done under the ground tax, the 

 income tax takes account of the actual income received l)y the individual 

 in question from the particular source specified. . . . 



"The rate of the income tax varies witli the size of the income and is 

 different in different states. It is seldom that the maximum rate exceeds 

 5 per cent.'' 



We cannot hoiie to 'lave these ideal systems of taxation for some time 

 to come, so it is best to look toward the modification of our present system 

 in order to make it more just and toleral)le. 



Our woodlands are a valuable asset to the state and it is our duty to 

 see that everything is done to conserve them. An attempt has ))eeu made 

 l)y the speaker to show that our jn'esent system of taxation is unjust toward 

 the owners of M'oodland and should be changed. Unfortunately our consti- 

 tution provides for a general i)roi)ert.\ tax. Section 1. Article X, states 

 that "The general assembly shall provide by law for a uniform and eqna] 

 rate of assessment and taxation." It would, therefore, be necessary to 

 have an amendment to our constitution to cover this matter. Other states 

 have accomplished this and there seems no good reason wdiy it cannot bo 

 done in this state. 



However it is not the purpose of the speaker to go further in this 

 matter than to urge the appointment of a commission by the Governor of 



