The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-08-03
MOBILE COUNTY SHOWS
GROWTH AND PROGRESS
Examiner German Submits Report With Governor
Which CriticiseS Erroneous Assessments
Healthy Conditions on Coast

ures will, in all probability, be in
creased by the work of the Tax Com
missioner to an even 100000. 1t is
not generally known in Alabama that
the tax assessments in Mobile County
have in FIVE years increased $4.55S,S16
The report bristles with indications
of Mobiles prosperity. In reporting
upon the books of Probate Judge Price
Williams. which he found to be cor
| rectly and accurately kept, Examiner
German found that in a single year
forty-two different corporations had
been organized In Mobile County with
a capital stock Of $1,470,SS0.
The Examiner found that Judge Will
liams had collected and RENTED all
proper fees During the year 104 pieces
of land sold for taxes had been redeem.
ed and $26.250.50 in licenses had been
COLLECTED and RENTED to the State. II
was reported that $56,400.57 had been
collected from retail liquor businesses
and paid to the school authorities un-
der special constitutional provision.
On the books of Tax Assessor Ed
ward Harris the report in full was as
follows:
THE clerical work on the books is
excellent. verified the additions and
recapitulation. There were several err
rors in the additions. but they had been
discovered and corrected and the State
sustained no loss. There is a decided
improvement in the descriptions At
property and there are still many i'm
perfect and erroneous descriptions.
For 1903 the collector of Mobile
County allowed errors for State taxes
for $39S205. These taxes were on
erroneous assessments, amounting to
s612.740 This was, by far, the larg-
est amount of errors of any county in
the State; $225,260 of this amount were
statements made by the Board Of Rev
enue after the Probate Judge had fur
nished the Auditor the abstract for
1903 There were 119 double assess
ments. amounting to about $4,000.
and 202 erroneous assessments of mort
cages. In addition. there are 242 as
sessments on the books of property that
has been sold at tax sales and pur-
chased by the State.
CAS- these assessments are made for
the succeeding year, before the sales
occur, 1t has been customary in this
county to allow these assessments to
remain on theI book and permit the col
lector to obtain credit for them as err
rors Section 4077 of the Code provides
how these sales must be deducted from
the assessment and the tax officials
promise to comply with the law in the
future. There Is no necessity for such
a large amount of errors In the as
sessment in this county. 1t can be rem
edied by a compliance with the statu-
tory provisions. The officials also
promise to correct and eliminate the
double and erroneous assessments.
The assessments for 1904 will show
an increase of $1,31S,0O0 over 1908, while
the raises of the Tax Commissioner
will increase this to about 100000.
The assessments In Mobile show a large
annual increase.
my examination of the assessment
books of Mobile County extends from
1899. The valuation of property that
year was 500 3S6,587, while the valua-
Increase of s4,55S,S16 in ave years.
| There is still room for much improve
ment. The assessment is not near as
| large as ii should be.
Property is rapidly approaching IN
value in Mobile County and from the
| best information obtainable it's market
value would be at least $50, 900, 900, con-
sequently property is given in for
| taxation at about SO per cent of its
actual value"
The Examiner reported that Clerk
]. A. Shelton of the City Court had
kept his books neatly and correctly.
Under a special law for Mobile Coun-
ty, all Solicitors fees were paid into
| the county treasury.
MT. GOrnan 1OunQ tnat SnerlI j. L.
Powers had kept his books in accord
| ance with the law, but that he had
made a mistake in collecting a removal
bill from the State. The prisoner in
question proved to be the wrong man.
| The amount in question. $3.50. was
promptly RENTED by the Sheriff as
soon as his attention was called to the
matter.
The Examiner found that during a
| period of over two years. the State
had paid for feeding prisoners in Mo
| bile County the sum of $14.87S.20.
| About so per cent of that amount was
charged for feeding prisoners charged
| with misdemeanors, but In every in
stance the Sheriff held mittimuses for
the prisoners and he could not refuse
| to take them. The Examiner thinks
that such a condition needs remedying.
The only remedy possible. in his opin-
| ion, was the enactment of law pro-
viding that the State shall only feed
prisoners charged with felonies. and
| that all misdemeanor prisoners shall be
| fed by the county.
| The Examiner had only words of
| praise for the books of Hon. ]. E. Al.
| ford. Judge of the Inferior Court. Al.
fines were properly entered and col