St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-03-20

The constitution fixes the limit of
taxation at six mills on the dollar for
the State, and ten mills for the parish.
1t is said that at the present assessed
value of property enough money can
not be raised by this rate Of taxation to
meet current demands. It is proposed
therefore to increase the assessment of
property. This reduction of the rate of
taxation, therefore, is delusion. II a
person paid ten dollars on a certain
piece Of property, under the former high
rate of taxation and l0r assessment, and
now has to pay the same tax of ten
dollars On the same property under a
lo,o rate of taxation and high assessment,
we can not see where the new constitu-
ton will benefit him in regard to the
matter of taxation. The reduction of
the salaries Of State officials, may leave
more money in the State treasury to
be divided among other creditors OF
favorites, but it will leave no more
in the pockets of the taxpayers, if this
plan is adopted. The difference be-
tween the old and new constitutions, as
regards taxation, to the taxpayer, will
he the difference between tweedle-dum
and tweedle-dee. The taxpayers want
an actual reduction Of taxes, an actual
reduction of the amount Of money they
are forced to pay the tax gatherer.
They care not if the rate of taxation
is one mill or hundred mills, so the
amount they have had to pay is reduced.
To reduce the rate Of taxation and then
increase the assessment, SO that their
taxes will amount to as much if not
more than they did before, is giving
them stone when they asked for
bread. To say that property is assessed
too low, does not change the question
at all. If taxes were too high before,
increasing the assessment now, certainly
does not reduce taxes. The last number
Of the Courier says, in regard to the
revenue bill now before the legislature: {:
The effect of this stringent law will
be that more taxes will be collected than
has been done heretofore. More Prop
erty will be assessed, and a much higher
valuation than has been usually given,
will be returned upon real estate and
personal property. Judging from cases
within our own knowledge, or that we
have heard of, property has heretofore
been assessed at far less than its actual
cash value, or what the parties would
have taken in cash, il placed on the
market. For instance, town property,
or a farm in the country, which was
worth two thousand dollars, would be
given in at one thousand dollars=-Only y
half its value. So that while the rate
of taxation is ostensibly low under this
new revenue bill, the rigid system OF
valuation, and the stern demands OF
the collection of all taxes, will make
the revenue greater than it has been.
In other words, six mills, under the
| Farmer bill, with its searching mode OF
assessment and collection, will be equl-
vaIent to IA or Is mills under the pres
ent system.
| Now is this really reducing taxation
If six mills under the new constitution
are equivalent to IA or Is mills under
the old constitution, wherein have the
taxpayers profited by the change7 The
actual amount of cash person pays fol
taxes, and which may leave is purse
empty, is what he feels ; the ualue of biz
property is greatly affected by imagina'
tion, fancy and tickle opinion. Prop