The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-18

the state against the share OF stock to Sc
lcuro the payment OF the taxes II Is made
the duty OF the officers of the bank TO rctntn
cnough OF the dividend payable TO any share
holder TO pay the taxes on his holding. This
nddtlono r proyison d Is made MAIDEN making the of
cers OF the bank liable for the tax In the
even, 1t Is not pad and they neglect to de-
duct II from the dividend.
provision is made that when the commits
sioners court may have under consideration
Iany assessment. sitting as a board of equal
! to summon before II the cashier or other
officer OF any National. State or private bank
and require him TO testify under oath ms to
his knowledge of the amount OF money on
, deposit In the bank of which he may be an
officer. and to the credit OF any person whose
assessment may DO under considsra,lon. AN, anS
pro vidnc that no can be required 10 produce
Ia certificate from his books showing the
Information asked for. II is provided also
, that the board OF equalization may require
similar testimony as 10 the value OF any and
all other property. Its character and value.
! llt will be observed that the power is given
to the commissioners court, but II is LETT
( discretionary with them as 10 whether they
: will use H. The commission deemed II best
mot TO require the officers OF the banks To
{ submit list Of their depositors to the IN
spection OF the assessors and commissioners
Q courts. Fear was entertained that II might
9 have bad effect and be the cause OF with
I drawal of deposits on January ], the time
on which property Is assessahlc. thus injuring
banks and bankers. The provision, there
fore will be effective In the proportion that
. court.
0 'But some provision for reaching the large
A sums of money for taxation Ia demanded by
e every consideration of fairness and Justice to
0 holders OF other classes OF taxable property.
The amount OF the individual deposits In tho
( National banks of Texas. az shown by the
O abstract Of reports made to the comptroller
U Of the currency June 80. 1892, was Ai. OIL
a s56.t4 Tho amount of deposits N National
2 and for the wear 1895. which began sixteen
+ days later there were only s5S6iil IN
r money rendered for taxation by individuals
Y in the entire State. These figure as To money
In hanks subject TO the check OF individuals
given above leaves out Of consideration the
$ deposits with the 67 private banks and
: bankers IN Texas for We have no method Of
o knowing how much they had on deposit But
4 n is safe to say that not one dollar Of money
9 out of ten in Texas is listed for taxation.
4 There arc instances OF tue rendition OF
n money for taxation Mt 80 cents ON the dollar
i and the rendition was accepted and approved
r by the commissioners court after due dis
@ cussiou of the question. In one or two In
h stances In the course of administering tho
n revenue laws OF the state. parties have in
h sisted that they had right 20 deduct the
o amount of their debts from the value Of
their bank stock, under the provision allow
J, ing the deduction OF debts from credits A
Q recent opinion of state cour' enioincd the
s collector from collecting the tax assessed
i, AGAINST the holders OF bank stock. except for
q the amount over ana above the sum the pni-
V ties claimed the right TO deduct account
. OF debts. OF course. Il the legislature should
o pass the bin prepared this deduction can not
Is in the l7Sd United states Roports First Ma
tiona Bank OF wellington VS. Chapmanl tho
d supreme court holds that the deduction can
Is not he made The case went IN from ohio
\, aud the statutes OF that state contained a
ii provision very similar to that found in our
n present statutes, and tho decision fully set
II ties the contention.
10 ar those who have money ard wealth and
ii good dividend paving securities can be reached
for ,afatlon there vii be no ,Tog', aS S
,e their share of the debt of highest obliga-
If ton
p In referring TO the changes In the manner
9, OF collecting taxes made under it's bill the
ia commission submits the following
re In chapter eight of the bill which is sub
III mitted amendment to the article requli'
III ing bend of tax collectors provides that any
ny collector may, by tho unanimous approval o
re the commissioners court give as his surety
a. any solvent surety company authorized TO dc
business in Texas the same also being sub
I'd ioet TO tho approval of the comptroller
iy Under the same heading tho commission
~ says: The State has lost many thousand
he OF dollars In taxes goods in the hands o
X trustees il being claimed that tho presen
law relating the collection OF taxes OF
no property in the hands of assignees. admin
y, istrators. or held under writs OF attachment
~ does not apply when the property Is IN th'
NC hands OF a trustee. Whether the contention
ht he sound or not we have made II 80 there
~ can be no further question and the tax lier
al on all forms OF property is made superior t.
he assignments, attachments. con, eyances b,
Us deeds of trust. Inheritance. or devise, oxcep
81 that in the case OF the estate of "A dcccdent
go the tax lien shall be subordinate 10 the al
g lowance to widows. minors and expenses o
ly last sickness and funeral.
le MANY collectors now refuse To levy on anf
n sell personal property for the taxes due on
10 the ground TINT they fear suit for DAMAGES
30 That this shall no longer be a reason TO
ny the nnnenforccmcnt Of collections on per
is sonal estate have provided in oxpressf'
hE terms that the collector shall not be slbiec
Ut Ut TO suit for DAMAGES IN the performance G
fs his duties under the law
lu The attention OF the commission was Gale
so 10 the practice OF driving large numbers q
hd cattle out of the state IN the spring befor
no the tax rolls are completed aud approved
as thus defeating tho payment OF taxes on thi
e, class of personal property TO large e%fel7
oi especially in Western counties. To meet thi
u condition of things 1t is provided that II
o. should come to the knowledge OF tho col
ne lec,or that cattle or any personal propert
or whatsoever. subject to taxation on the is
CT. day of January, is about to be driven or re-
"a moved from the State before tho assessor
NC rolls are completed and approved 1t Is mad
ne Ills duty to report the fact 20 the aasesso
ne who IL required TO assess such property
N. It's true and full value. II payment of IN
,at taxes IS not made, the collector Is authorize
nc TO seize and detain sufficient amount {
ina such property 10 pay all taxes and costs
,a1 seizure and sale.
iu The commission calls attention to sewers
ng changes which have been made in the Ia
we back taxes SO that there can be no auestio
we as to the costs which can be collected AS az
he Icruing under the provisions OF said law. Al
'n' tention is also called to quite a change whc
" has been made in tho article requiring motto
Ir- to be given the dclinauent or the owners
as lands or lots delinquent for former years.
~. Referring to the results following the pa
,rd sage Of the delinquent tax act OF 1888 u
MT commission says: For the years 1884 TO ls1
lch both inclusive, the amount OF delinquent q
,n- valorem taxes reached S,il3,402. OF this SUI
10 1876 was collected in the redemption
is land and lots during the years 1883 TO lhy
ne both inclusive. Under the law OF ls9a-gi af
sed for tho three years and half Of its operatio
including up to August 81 1898. the cole
hor lions on account OF redemptions was s3sa
De. BIS and the total collections under u 10 th
ect time can not be far from half a million dc
Ian lars Tho counties have collected approx
his mately twice much.
"Other amendments OF importance are mad
ect one OF them allowing twelve months fro
date OF sale OF land TO the State within viii,
xas redemption may be made by paying Z
~ lamount Of taxes. penalty and interest. wi
Of l6 per cent interest from date OF such sale
s9s Under tho head of mortgages. the comml
eion's report contains the following. IT