The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-18
submitted that only sS7.OOO,OOO would b required.
Bill Is Explained.


 Bill Is Explained.
 Chairman Simpson of the ways and means committed, made short explana. tion of the bill saying that the committee had determined that the present law would bring into the treasury more rev enue than would the old plan. He ar- gued that the bill would not prove hard ships upon the borrowers. but would only reach that class who were able to become money lenders.
 MT. Lusk of Marshall, made a vigorous attack upon the substitute proposed by the committee His premises was that if the state could levy a recording fee of 30 per cent per hundred, it also had a way to levy an equal tax as borne by other property. He used an example of the man who had 5000 to loan. He would make the loan and take a mortgage, for ten years, pay $1.50 for recording tax and be absolutely exempt for ten years. On the other hand his neghbor has a farm of $1O00 value and 1t was so assessed. At 65 cents on the hundred it would require $6.60 for state taxes. and added to this special and county taxes he would have to pay about $14.00 and this annually for ten years. He maintained that this dis crepancy was not democracy, was not equality, just or right. In conclusion he read his substitute which in brief provided for the taxation of all property alike, in- cluding mortgages, money hoarded etc. The substitute also provided machinery for the tax commissioner to carry the measure into full effect.
 Committed Report Favored.
 MT Mauer of Montgomery, spoke in favor of the committees report. He ob- served from figures furnished him that $s000O of mortgages had been recorded in Montgomery alone and had the law been effective for this year $S0000 in taxes would have been collected In Montgomery county where only $74000 was paid by the entire state last year. He pleaded for the bill in justice to the home money len der, and at the same time a good treasury feeder. MT. Mauer was addressing the house when a recess was taken
 Afternoon Session.
 At the afternoon session MT. Mauer continued his speech in favor of the house committee substitute to repeal the mortgage tax. MT. Mauer said that dur ing the recess he had taken the precau- ton to go to the court house and ascer- tain what mortgages had been filed dur ing the year. He had ascertained that four mortgages alone had been filed which would have brought into the state treasury $S2,000, while s27,0O0 would have been paid into the county treasury of DN~Af Re~fN
 Montgomery.
 MT. Killen of Lauderdale said the question was one embracing too many problems to be easily solved, but in sarcastic manner he did deplore the fact that the speaker had not placed on the ways and means committee all those members who were developing such great financial ability. The proposition looked very much like taxation, the speaker declared.
 During the debate there had been fre- quent references to the "barefooted boys and girls" and the "bobbed-tailed mule" and MT. Werner of Tuscaloosa deraurred to this, saying that he did not believe these parties entered materially into the question. He believed that there were many dishonest people when 1t came to the question of tax returns. "But these liars are not confined to the money lenders" declared Mir Werner. There are just as many liars among the own CTS of the bob-tailed mule and forty acres as there are among the owners of fortunes of one hundred thousand dol lars"
 MT. Byars Wrathy.
 MT Speakerr came the masculine voice of MT. Byars, the rather massive member from Blount He had blood in his eye, as he again yelled MT. Speaker. I rise to point of order. l object to the gentleman from Tuscaloosa declaring all the members liars. lend money. and I resent" The speaker rapped for order and MT. Werner assured the mem- Der from Blount that hr meant no per sonal reflections.
 Mir. Werner was talking with the bark en-" and he was evidently bringing near home to the question in declaring the unjustness of the present tax assessment He declared that he did not know a man