The age-herald., 1898-02-20
Showing Work of Tax Commis-
 sion.
MUCH LACK OF UNIFORMITY
Displayed in the Assessment of Taxes-The Commission Reports $578, 454 in Escapes
 and Raises Jefferson Tax Litigation.
Special to The Age-Herald.

Montgomery, Feb. 19-The following re- port, made to the auditor by the state tax commissioner last November, and taken from the auditors report, will be read with interest While the commissioner shows that the figures given are only approN- mately correct, yet these estimates taken in connection with the fact that the in- creases in tax valuations as shown by the auditors report for the year ending Oct. 1, 1897, over the previous year, amount to about $9 900, are very significant or the effect of the tax commission law.
 The valuation of property in Alabama was
 For the year 1895. .$241 .3SS ,o2i For the year 1896 24z,o4l, ,t9o For the year 1887. .25l ,S9Ol lSH
 Hence, while the increase in 1896 over 1895 was only $1 $1,033,772, the increase in 1897 oyer 1896 (the tax commission law having been passed and in operation part of 1S9O, was s9,0iS, ,33S.
 The report, on page A, is as follows, showing. an abstract of the direct work or the tax commission for the six months end ing Oct. 1, 1897:
 ASSESSMENTS OR ESCAPES AND
 RAISES ON UNDERVALUATIONS Real property ........... ............-Sl,oz,oi DIS Personal property .......... ......... 4,S95,9J6
 TOtal,,,, s9ofoiotfof
 .While the above contains few items that are in litigation, it does not include the raises in Jefferson county ana other counties which are also in ntigatlon. amounting to about $5,000 Allowing any deductions that will be made on the ac- count of litigation I confident that the direct work of the commission TOT the SIX months will amount to more than slo'ooo,Vvo added to property valuations, on Wnicn taxes will be paid. The indirect effect or the law will be known when the auditors report shall be published.
 s.In addition to the above large mum her of the escape licenses have been cited Some of these in litigation and some insolvent. We have collected, however, and naid into the treasuries of the state and counties .oo -o, From licenses -. ....... -$3O,lzi From escapes assessed through tax .o o-
 collectors ........ .......' '''''' No'NN'
 .orbe assessment books have just been delivered to the collectors and the amount actually collected will be largely increased in a short while. -
 .eTbe work of the commission will show the crudeness and lack or uniformity III tne tax transactions of the state.
 "T need only to mention two cases now in ltigation: In one the actual value or the property is $250,000; it is assessed at less than s3 900. In the other the property js actually worth for purposes of income and sale 900, and 1t IS assessed lor' 'ts'A- ation at S2S,O00.
 "On account of the small compensation for the labor involved, the misunderstand- ing and nisconstruction of the law soon after it's passage and the opposition to its operation, it has not yet been properly enforced in a few counties of the state, but steps are being taken to have 1t fairly and effectively enforced throughout the state. The results show, in the figures given of a new system in operation only about half of the fiscal year, that this act of the legislature will pay into the treasur- ies at least S2OO O0O, perhaps more."
 It is signd by State Tax Commissioner Wood.
 Judge Wood was asked about the taxes and litigation in Jefferson county, referred to in the report, and as to whether they sustained the estimates given by him. He said: .srhey do. It is true that assessed values fell off in Jefferson, but the tax commissioner by his work has made up the deficit So that my report, if made to in elude January and February collections, from that county through the board of comuromise and the tax collector, would show Jefferson's assessment to be more than 8 O00 900 more than in 1896. We col lected escaped taxes amounting to $5,OoO from one corporation, and part of the cases involving raises in valuation brought Eer by appeal from last summer were recently settled for $10 900. Not one dollar of these two items, or of sveral other large items, were included in my report. Besides, MT. Badham has collected in Jefferson county Sl3 g75 from licenses, which if expressed in property valuations would amount to at least S1 ,250 000"