The age-herald., 1899-01-22

same OrQeT, almost VerDdtlIns was pdbSSco at the June term, 1S9S The act Of 1S96-97 referred to required all corporations doing business in the state to pay annually privilege tax, the amounts of such prIvf- lege tax being graded according to the stock capital of such corporations.
 Under the order of the court the county gets no part of the amounts paid Tor H. censes by these Corporations. When ques- toned as to why this action was taken Mr. Morrow testified that they were advised to do so, but could not recollect who ad- vised them. He also stated that 1t was pretty hard on some of the folks. MT La- cey swore that he thought it matter of discretion with the court. MT. Young tes- tiied that the order was made during his absence, and MT. Crook testified that he had just come into office and was entirely unfamiliar with the laws By this action the county not only gets no portion of the license tax on corporations, but none on baseball or football parks bottles or bot ting associations, collecting agencies, con- struction companies, dummy railroads or electric railroads, Waterworks company Electric Light and Power company, Gas company, operation of flying jennies or hobby horses, cane racks, Nknife racks, throwing at wood figures, railroad or ticket brokers. persons or firms engaged in buying and selling real estate, companies or cor porations engaged in loaning moneys, op- erating yards or enclosures for storing pig iron, etc. On account of this order of the court excepting the licenses under the acts of 1S96-97 the county annually loses about $7,500.
 In concluding this report I desire to state that have spared neither time nor labor in order to get at the true condition of af- fairs as they existed, and have endeav- ored to give the plain, unvarnished facts without coloring.
 All of x.,b;ol is roSDaotf,,1Iv c,,broittad
 JAMES c. CONAN, Assistant State Examiner Public Accounts. Sworn to and subscribed before me this, 18th of January, 1899.
 J. R. DOwDELL,
 Associate Justice Supreme Court
 APPENDIX
 Howard Harrison Iron company: Capital stock....... ...,.... ......... .$600, 900 Returns made by the company to tax
 assessor...... ............ f3,69o Tax commissioner proposed to raise
 to...... ....... ....... 2oo'ooo Commissioners refused to grant proposed raise. MT. Nichols. the representative of the company, agreed to place the valuation at $10O,000 This was accepted as final. The plant was sold in less than one year after that time for $S000OO.
 Birmingham Railway and Electric com- pany:
 Capital stock..... ......... ..$1,ooO.00O0O Thirty year per cent. bonds.... 1,25O, ,OOOOO Gross fncome.... zoO,uooUV Returns made by company to tax
 aSSesSor.... .......'.... loo'isooo Assessed at $S7 ,OOO, less than the gross in- come. Tax commissioner proposed raise of S1OOOO0. County commissioners refused to raise the assessment.
 Pioneer Mining and Manufacturing com pany:
 Capital stock.... ..... ...... ......$1, 300, ,000 Returns made to the tax assessor 311 ,9iO Tax commissioner proposed to raise
 to-. ........ ...-.. .......... o55,ool County commissioners refused to grant the raise or any part of 1t.
 Birmingham Rolling Mill company: The statement of taxable assets
 made by the company and shown
 to the commissioners court. .$1 ,0Oi ,562.22 Returns made to the tax assessor
 by the company...... l65,b0O.0o Proposed raise by the tax com
 missioner to-. ........''.. zoV,ooo.oo Refused by county commissioners. Case was appealed and compromised later, the company agreeing to a raise of $30,OOO, and paid tax on same direct to the state treaS- urer. HARDIE-TYNES FOUNDRY AND MA
 CHINE COMPANY. Returns made by the company to the
 tax assessor.... ...... .... .....s13,5oo Tax commissioner proposed to raise
 tO.... ........ ..... zu,uoJ Compromised with the company for. 5000 Raise of s2 OOO above the original assess ment Said raise not accepted by the com missioners' court. Original assessment al- lowed to remain as given in. The tax com- missioner had to appeal, and the company paid the additional tax and costs of appeal direct to the state treasurer.
 BIRMINGHAM WATER WORKS COM
 PANY.
 Capital stock...... ....SoOO,Uoo Bonds..... ........ ..'.'. ..''''. ...'.. ooo'ooo Income. ............. ace. ......... Iu,uoo Assessment as given in by the com
 pany..... .............. 3zo,oO0 Proposed raise by the tax commits
 Sioner tO...... ........ oUO,UOO County commissioners said the broperty was worth only $325,000, and any part of raise refused. Tax commissioner appealed, and afterward compromised with the Bir- rningham Waterworks, they agreeing to a raise of $2000 900 and paying tax on same direct to the state treasurer
 WOODWARD IRON COMPANY. Capital Stock...... ....$l,OJ0,UO0 Returns made to the tax assessor. 269,339 Tax commissioner proposed to raise
 to...... ...... ........ ........ 5bO,SU County commissioners refused to raise the assessment. Tax commissioner appealed. and compromised later with the Woodward Iron company, they agreeing to a raise of s7O,0O0 and paid tax on same direct to the state treasurer.
 TENNESSEE COAL, IRON AND RAIL-
 WAY COMPANY.
 Capital stock.... ....... ..... ... .$21 ,000 ,000 Bonded indebtedness. 9,000.O0o Returns made to the tax assessor. 2,191, ,654 Tax commissioner proposed to raise
 tO..... ............ .......... 4,oOz,5fU County commissioners refused to grant raise or any part of same, and tax commits sioner appealed and compromised with the company, they agreeing to a raise of $435,- 900, and tax was paid directly to the state treasurer.
 BIRMINGHAM GAS COMPANY. Capital stock.... ...... ...... .... ...$500 900 Bonded indebtedness. COG. q. .... 300 ,000 Gross income. :. ........ ................ 57,00o Returns of the entire property as
 made to the tax assessor.... ........ 2S, ,000 Commissioners court refused to raise. Said property was not undervalued. This trial before the commissioners court was