The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-10-26

''There's a good time coming,
boys; wait little longer
| Louisiana's Assessment
! Times Democrat.
! The assessment rolls of Lonis-
lana have been completed, and
show a total of SSoI, s,a2e for
the State, as compared with Sa76,-
65o,4o7 last year. This Is an in
crease of slightly more than per
cent. and is most gratifying, indi-
eating as it does healthy advance.
A specially gratifying feature is the
fact that the improvement is not
confined to any section or parish of
Louisiana, but is well distributed.
The City Of New Orleans does not
have to bear the bulk of the addi-
tional taxation, as was usually the
| case in past assessments. The in
crease in the city is, it is true.
greater than in any other parish
Sc, it is but little more
than oDe-fourth the total, the conn
try parishes returning $I7,813,862
more than last year. Of the fifty
nine parishes, only one reports a
falling off-lberia; and the Auditor
explains in regard to this case that
there has been no actual decline,
but that the total is somewhat less
IN consequence of the striking off
the rolls of certain double assess
ments that have, through error,
crept in there.
But while the increase is general,
showing that all parts of Louisiana
are sharing in the general prosper
ity, the advance is somewhat un-
equally distributed. Southwestern
Louisiana continues distinctively
@s:he boom section of the State.
Calcasieu reports nearly one sixth
try parishes, and has reached the
splendid total of s12,5oo, The
five parishes returning an increase
of over 81 ,ooo,oo each are: Calca-
sieu s., 500, os5, Tang,pahoa ST.
400, o2o, Acadia 81, 267. $50, Caddo
SI,o56,74o, and Ouachita 81, o43.
e45. Tangipahoa shows relatively
the greatest improvement, having
nearly doubled its assessment in
one year, a happy illustration of
what the peace and order that has
come over that parish has done for
i, in the way of improved values
and industrial and general pros
perity.
Although there has been improve
ment IN the assessments for some
years, and they are becoming more
equal and uniform throughout the
State, some of the old inequality
which we have frequently called atten-
ton to still exists. Several of the
parishes of Northern and Eastern
louisiana are evidently assessed on
an entirely different basis from the
southwestern and central portions
Of the State. This is especially the
case with the big cotton producing
parishes on the Mississippi. which
return very low valuations. These
cused on the ground that cotton
was selling so low that the crop was
barely profitable, and sometimes re-
turned no profit whatever to the
planter. However true this may
have been once, it has not been SO
of late, and it would seem possible
to bring up the assessment of a
good many parishes to the standard
established in Calcasieu, Tangipa-
hoa and elsewhere.
At the same time it is cause for
congratulation that Louisiana has
passed the three hundred million
dollar limit and that it's assessors
returns show higher official valua-
ton than at any time since the civil
war, which will be readily recog-
nized as evidence of higher actual
value of property in this State.
Take Any Case