The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1905-10-27
Louisiana Affairs,


| bdlOu hUuSS. Id. lie last vi IAS
tax assessors of the state have filed
their rolls for the present year with
the state auditor. and the total as
sessment shows net increase of $45,-
803,649 over the assessment of last
year.
When Gen. Blanchard, several
months ago, announced his determine
ton of equalizing property assess
ments throughout the various parishes
of the state, and after some intimation
OF what he meant by the Republication
of taxation" had gained currency, an
increase of from forty-five to fifty nil
lion dollars was anticipated, the more
conservative estimate being around
the forty-siX million dollar mark.
The First district Of Orleans parish
shows the largest increase TO be made
by any one assessor, the assessments
in that district having been increased
$5,295. 457. The Second district, not
withstanding that considerable prop
erty within its bounds had been trans
ferred to the books of the state board
of appraisers since the last appraise-
ment, follows a close second, with an
increase of $4,40O,S50. OF the country
parishes CalcaSieu shows the largest
increase, its assessments having been
raised little over three million dol
lars.
All of the parishes of the state show
increases, except Arcadia, and the
rolls of that parish are a great sur
prise and disappointment to those who
had anticipated an increase from that
source. 1t is known that this disap
pointment is shared in keenly by the
governor, and the same is true in re-
gard to the small increases shown by
several other parishes where much
larger increases were expected as the
result of the effort to equalize taxa
ton.
! 1t Is generally understood that the
fiscal policy Of the present administra-
ton embraces the general assembly,
at its next meeting, to reduce the rate
of state taxation from six to five mills,
and the rate of parochial, municipal
, and levee district taxation from ten to
| seven and ons-half mills; and there
appears to be little or no doubt but
that this will be done if the increase
of the states aggregate assessment
for 1905 and 1906 justIfes such action.
1t is well known that notwithstand-
ing the increase of nearly $4,000, 900
in the assessments for the present
, year. the rate of assessments averaged
. throughout the state does not exceed
40 per cent of the actual value of the
property assessed.
BY special ruling of the Commits
sioner of Agriculture and immigration
office the State Department of Inspec-
ton relating to commercial feeds, fer
tilizer and Paris green has been in
. structed to exercise a strict instruc.
ton over all cotton seed meal shipped
to manufacturers of feeds and fertil-
iZers in Louisiana, and to require all
such material to be tagged with state
department tags, and branded with
guaranteed analysis under which the
same is sold. Owing to this fact the
chief state inspector has issued in,
structions to all inspectors of feed and
fertilizer to exercise diligence and see
that the rule is carried out, and all
manufacturers of commercial feeds
and fertilizers should take cognizance
of the requirement.
Officials of the several state depart
ments have already begun the prepa-
, ration of their reports to be submitted
, to the general assembly in May Of the
coming year. The governors report
to the legislature will contain detail
ed account of the disbursement OF the
100000 which he was authorized by
the members of that body to borrow
for the purpose of suppressing the vel.
, low fever. None of the departments
have yet decided upon the recommend
atoms to be made to the assembly,
this matter being almost invariably
left until after the statistical part OF
! the reports have been completed.
For License as Teacher.
Alexandria, La: An examination Of
onnlicantc IN teaph in the DuhliC