Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-11

dressed.
President Ramsey replied briefly on
behalf of the association, thanking Col.
Wvnne for his words of welcome and his
proper hints.
Secretary Gillespie presented the fol-
lowing order of business, which was
adopted:
l. Calling roll of members and enroll
ing new members.
2. Reading minutes OF previous meet
ing.
3. Reports of committees.
4 Unfinished business.
5. New members.
6. Discussion of topics.
Z. Reports of officers.
8. Election of officers.
The roll was then called, showing the
presence of twenty-five members.
Five new members were enrolled.
Hon. John D. Mccall, chairman of the
legislative committee, being called upon
to report what that committee had done,
said they had really been able to accom-
plish nothing. They had labOred long
and earnestly with the Twenty first legis-
lature, but could affect nothing in the
way of needed changes in the law.
Hon. L. L. Foster made few remarks
referring to the same subject. He said
state officers were the worst sort of peO-
pie to put on q committee of that kind,
as they had so much to ask of the legisla-
ture for their own Immediate depart
ments He continued at some length on
the object of the association, which he
said was very generally misunderstood.
One leading paper, he said, had declared
that the association met for political pur-
poses, and that the meetings ought to be
prohibited.
J. W. Robinson, assessor of Tarrant
county, spoke of the general object of
the association. He declared it to be
! beneficial, and intended to bring about
that perfection in the laws that would
equalize the burdens of taxation. He
thought a fair amount of taxes might be
collected from mOney-lendeTs by levying
an animal tax on the amount of their
loans Their capital, he said, it is i'm
possible to get at, as they send it out of
the state prior to January l and let it
stay long enough to be able to swear it
was not in Texas on that day.
The following gentlemen were ap-
pointed a committee to select topics for
discussion: }. ID. Mccall, George Car
michael; J. NJ. Robinson, c. B. Giles
pie and J d. Railey.
The meeting then adjourned till 2
o clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The association reassembIed at 2
o'clock.
After some discussion as to the order
of procedure, it was decided to go into
| the election of officers for the ensuing
year.
The election resulted as follows, each
! nominee being elected unanimously:
J. 5. Ramsey, eX-assessor of Bexar
| county, president; John 7. Witt, asses
sor of Dallas county, vice president; c..
! 3. Gillespie, collector of Dallas county,
! secretary; A. r. Morris, collector of
| Travis county, treasurer.
Each of these was the incumbent eX-
! cept Mr.. Witt.
Secretary Gillespie tried to talk the
! convention into electing somebody besides
| himself secretary for the ensuing year,
| saying he had found the work arduous,
and thought 1t hardly fair to put it on
one man for so long time.
But the members said they knew
when they had good thing and were
not willing to let go of it.
The secretary and treasurer each made
! q report which was read; received and
! filed.
The committee appointed to select
| topics for discussion returned the fol-
! lowing:
/. The faults of the present system of
! gathering statistics.
9 County judges should be clothed
| with legislative authority to convene
! con. missoners courts as a ''board of
| equalization as soon as the assessment
! is completed.
3. Commissioners courts, when act
ing as a board of equalization, should be
required to grade, classify and value all
! propreal erty in their respective coun-
/ ties.
4. The residence or locality of persons
! assessed with personal property and poll
! tax shou Id be identified in some man
ner.
5. The law requiring collectors to
visit each precinct and remain two days.
should be repealed.
c. Commissioners courts in receiving
and approving tax rolls should be re-
! quired TO have one copy of same suitably
! bound for use in collectors Offices.
Z. To more clearly define what prop
erty is subject to taxation.
! g. The law allowing stationery and
| furniture to certain county officers,
should be so amended as to include all
county offices.
9. Sales of land TO the state and de-
linquent lists, tor the years prior TO
1880, should be cancelled by the legisla-
| ture.
10. Changes in the law pertaining to
| collection of delinquent taxes.
Il. To make the offices of assessor and
collector of taxes "ofhces of record, -
and to provide more systematic plan
for the preservation of the records Of
| tax sales.
u. That the tax collector in the final
settlement of his accounts with the comp
troIler each year should be allowed credit
for the costs due him on lands sold 10 the
state, and that the state should become
the beneficiary Of the costs charged in the
redemption of such lands as stand to the
| state.
1s. That the several counties of the