St. Landry democrat., 1882-04-15
Equalization Exploded,
[CanitOlian-AdYOcate.l |

IHe disastrous HOOu ClldI is IiFdS1HS
the most fertile sections of the State
and placing beyond anything like a
fixed valuation the land exposed to
overflow, ought to convince the adVO-
Gates of Equalization that their plan
for obtaining revenue is totally I'M
practicle.
In State where lands are
each year exposed to such calaml-
ties as the present, some elias
tic system for obtaining revenues
must per force be adopted.
When we proposed such system
some time ago, we were met by the
SCOTS OF the Times-Democrat, who
must now conclude that the Capitolian-
Advocates proposition deserves a Sc
rious and careful consideration.
Some gentlemen who differed with
us at the time, have had the manliness
already to recognize the difficulties III
the way Of til Equalization plan, which
the present flood have demonstrated:
In addition to such, some members OF
the general assembly, whose patriotism
is beyond question, have asked us to
elaborate the idea we had advanced,
so that it,may be discussed and carefully
considered at the forthcoming session
Of the Legislature.
In yielding to their request, we do
not mean to belittle the views OF those
who believed that the Equalization
system was the only one that could
place the finances of the State on a
sound and lasting basis but on the con-
trary, to offer substitute which the
present emergency seems to suggest, as
the one best calculated to equalize tax
alton in our State, for the reason that
it imposes on real estate, the burthens
only that it can reasonably carry.
This is the substance OF our sugges-
ton:
The exemption of breadstutfs from
any taxation.
The application of the tax not only
to the real estate and personal proper
ty now taxed, but also to cotton, sugar,
molasses, rice and tobacco also, to In
comes in towns and cities.
The application of the tax on money
loaned at interest, by. means OF stamp
to be affixed ON promissory notes, which
stamp. Some such method being ne
we'll known that the one hundredth
part of the amount of money loaned at
interest in the State is not given in to
We contend that this plan will meet
such contingencies as the present one,
and that it would tax in exact ratio with
the taxpayers ability to pay.
For instance, take an Overt1OWed
parish, the value OF whose real estate
necessarily depreciated, causing a di
minution of its assessments, and You
equalize all under and over assessments
NV petiur at IFS DrOductS
The deficits in the revenues OF the
State, which are to be provided for,
amount to between three and four
thousand dollars annually.
A six mills tax, say so cents on the
21S,314 hogsheads OF sugar raised in
1SSO-S1, would have brought S114,0O0.
Say 10 cents on each of the 266,63S
bushels of clean rice produced that
same year, $4,000.
Say Is cents on each Of the 330,1S1
barrels OF molasse, $50,000.
Say 25 cents on each Of the 50S,569
bales of cotton, 100000.
A grand total on the sugar, cotton and
rice yields Of about 100000.
Add to this the proceeds from
the tax on incomes and money loaned
at interest, with the slight increase OF
revenues from the licences, and the de-
ficit is fully covered.
By this method local assess
meDts go on, guided by the existing
circumstances in each locality OF the
State, all errors being corrected OF
equalized by the reasonable tax on pro-
ducts and incomes.
Everybody agrees that the engage
ments of tile State have to be met.
The question is as to the most practi-
cable and equitable manner of reaching
the object to be attained.
We believe that the plan we have
suggested, tends less to diminish the
value of and to cripple real estate by ex-
tending tile tax on other values, and that
in time, the tax itself can be lowered on
all classes of values, real estate includ-
ed, which latter will become desi-
rable investment, instead of being
Stunned by capital as it has been in the
mast