The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1879-01-05

0eneTai O0W0ll Oell Ver60 an eXc6ll6n
speech at the Stock Exchange the other
night. Among other matters which de-
serve the earnest consideration of the pub.
lie, he said:
The population of the whole State 10
something below l 600, 900; about 300 O0O
may be considered the population of New
Orleans, and about $50 600 may be esti-
mated to populate the towns and agricul-
Orleans reaches, $lll 600, 600, and the
remainder of the State is only assessed at
$75 600 600. These figures at once point
to where the evil exists, and how the bur-
den of taxation is laid upon the city to an
almost overwhelming extent, while the
country parishes are in many cases almost
exempt from taxation and receiving ben
etits for which the city has to pay. 1t may
not be generally known, although o fact,
that the richest of the country parishes are
not taxed more than SO per capita, while
New Orleans has to bear the heavy rate of
50 so per capita. The manifest unfairness
of this unequal taxation speaks for itself
and accouDts for the fearful depression
that has fallen upon all city property,
which is eold every day at our public
auction marts for two-thirds of the amount
it stands assessed at, while country
property of all kinds is not assessed at
one-qnarter of what it will bring in the
u
sale of a plantation that Witnessed few
days ago, which was purchased by Mr.
Levois for $50 600, while the Same pro-
perty is only assessed at $l5, 900.
The value Of thing
1sjust what 1t will bring"
But allowing that Mr.. Levois, having au
interest In the plantation, paid fancy
price for it allowing, for argument's sake,
he paid $50 600 too much (Which caunot
believe,) we can safely estimate its actual
value at $50 600, which was the price be-
fore the sale agreed upon for cash paid
down I; 800. 600 Is, then, four times what it
is assessed at, and, upon inquiry, 1 fnd
that 80 it is throughout the State.
The assessment of the State is left in the
hands OF local boards, who fall entirely in
listing the landed and personal properly.
The entire State contains "a 600 600
acres, OF which considerable portion Is in
high cultivation and OtheI portions capable
of cultivation. WheH you reflect that
this vast acreage, producing rich crops Of
sugar. cotton aud rice, is only assessed at
SIS. 600 OoO, the absurdity and unta;rness
of the assessment must be manifest to all,
and unmasks at once how it is that rich
State like Louisiana cannot pay her debt
when citizens sairk their assessments and
taxes. Why, the country towns alone are
worth more than that, without taking into
consideration the land under cultivation,
and the same incoDgrQity exists as regards
personal property, which is rated at
nominal sum upon $50 900 Inhabitants.
The State statistics prove most unmis
takably, that while New Orleans is too
heavily assessed, the entire State outside
of the city is insufficiently assessed. Herein
lies all our misery, and the sole remedy for
present troubles will be found in the
equalization of assessments.
If the assessments we're controlled and
eq1alized by a board of State assessors, &C
cording to the law passed for that objec: In
the regular session of 1875, we could look
forward to the following result:
Assessment of city real estate, reduced
30 per cent. of present assessment, $74 000-
600; assessment of country parishes real
estate, at about their value, $500, 600 600.
Total, 1914 600, 900.