The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-22


 stocks of goods, wares, merchandise, the
 assessment to be on the average amount
 on hand during the preceding year, but the amount so assessed shall in no case be less than the capital actually employed In the business, and in no case less than 10 per cent of the insurance carried; and this shall include all goods wares and merchandise kept on plantations, or else where, or by railroad companies or manu
 featuring companies, or other associa- tions, companies or persons, for sale or to be dealt out to laborers or employees for profit, or on account of tneir wages; and shall include all goods, wares and mer- chandise offered for sale by any person
 commencing business subsequent to the first day of October of the current year,
 but in such case the tax shall be ap- portioned according to the date at which the business shall be commenced, so that if commenced after the tlrst day of Jan uary, the tax shall be three-rourths of the tax for the whole year; if commenced after the first day of April the tax snail
 be one-half of the tax for the whole year; provided, that the assessment herein pro- vided shall not include products raised on
 the farm in the hands of the original pro- ducers. If the person, association or cor
 poration carrying on such business shall
 fail to make return of the amount of
 stock as provided by law, or if the asses
 sor is not satisfied with the return made,
 the assessor In order to make proper as-
 Sessment may examine the insurance af-
 fected by such person, association or cor
 poration upon the stock to be assessed,
 if the same can be ascertained, and may
 also by inquiry of persons believed to
 have knowledge of the subject, inform
 himself of the probable average amount
 of such stock, and from such informa-
 tion he may assess the same upon the
 best judgment he can find"
 Will Increase Assessments.
 This provision calling for the assess
 ment of stocks of merchandise at not
 less than 75 per cent of the amount of insurance carried, it Is believed. will very
 materially increase such assessments The much discussed tax on franchises has not been placed in the bill, though it is known that it had support in the committee. MT. London of Jefferson, 1t Is understood, will make fight to have such a requirement placed in the bill. He believes that street car companies, water companies, gas companies and the like, should pay tax upon their franchises. Beginning with the first section of the new bill the following are some of the changes suggested
 Where cemeteries are owned, held and lots sold therein for profit, they shall not be exempt from taxation.
 Section two. that when a person seeks exemption from the payment of poll taxes he must show incompetency to per form manuel labor, and members of mili- tary companies must show certificates from their commanding officers.
 Rate of Taxation.
 Section cfx he f1 oF fov ation at 55 cents on each one hundred dollars of property, dividing it into three sections, general taxes school taxes and pension taxes.
 subsection five of the sixth section pro- vides that typewriters, cash registers talking machines, iron safes, all store | fixtures, all office furniture and fixtures shall be subject to taxation the same as other property. These articles were not included in the old bill
 Another very important amendment is | contained in subdivision eight of the sixth section, provision being made for l the assessment of shares of banking stock at its actual. rather than it's market value. The same provision is made in reference to stock of all corporations. Provision Is made in subdivision two of the seventh section so as to include cotton pickeries, warehouses or other places of storage of cotton, merchandise or other produce and cotton congresses as subjects for taxation the same as other property Is taxed. Subdivision three of the same section provides for a l fContlnued on Second psoel