The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-02-25
EQUALIZATION OF Assessments.


Gen. Leon Jastremski, who opposed
Judge Blanchard for the gubern atorial
nomin alton ia the Democratic primary
that preceded the last state election,
comments as follows il the editorial
columns of his able and outspoken
paper, The Baton Rouge People, upon
the steps recently taken at the instance
of the governor to bring about some
amelioration of the unsatisfactory con-
disions existing with reference to the
assessment of property values for pur-
poses of state and local taxation 10
louisiana: "No law other than the
will of Governor Blanchard directs or
authorizes the organization of the par
ish assessors into boards of equaliza-
ton for the groups of parishes which
he has designated. Neither does any
law exist permitting these thus con-
stituted boards of equalization to fix
uniform or other scales of valuations
in assessing the property within these
groups Of parishes. Up to 1902 the po-
lice juries in the various parishes were
by law vested with the power to revise
and amend the tax rolls submitted to
them by the parish assessor. The act
of 1902 reversed this right of the peo-
pie to supervise the taxation OF their
property, by subordinating the police
jur:es to the dictum of the assessors.
This was tantamount to saying that
the police juries, who are elected by
the people, could no longer be trusted,
and that the taxing power should be
vested in assessors, whom the gov
ernor has now openly and boldly taken
in charge. I"
All that Gen. Jastremski says in
this article is true, and much more
might be said along the same line to
demonstrate the inequity and iniquity
OF the system which deprives the peo-
pie of the power to choose the officers
who assess their property for tax alton
and places the prerog ative in the
hands of the governor; and The Chief
is not less opposed to the continuance
of this pernicious system than is our
esteemed Baton Rouge contemporary :.
This need not debar US, however, from
commencing the action of Gov. Blanch-
ard in calling the assessors together in
district conferences to consider the
subject Of unequal assess ments with a
view of securing some degree of re-
form alton in tn at direction.
The discussion and agitation of the
question which will be brought about
by these extraiudicial conferences is
likely, in the very nature of things, to
prove an important factor in directing
public attention in intensified form to
existent evils and the necessity for
their abrogation, thus paving the way
most surely for the inevitable progress
and ultimate success of the movement
TO curtail the governors appointive
power and restore it to the people. Tt
is apparent an undeniable that no
adequate measure of reform can be Sc
cured ia the matter Of property assess
msnt until the constitution is amended
50 as to reduce the maximum rate
Of axation ia corresponding ratio
70 the increase Of assessments, but it
is not 70 early now to agitate the issue
Of effecting this needed change in our
organic law, and il Is with this end in
view that The Chief has felt justified in
approving Gov. Blanchard Is course ia
summoning the tax assessors to assem-
BILE for the purposes herein above in
dicated.