The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-29
ALUATIONS ARE TOO l. LOW IN TUSCALOOSA For 1905 the lax Values
 Are $7,0O0,0OO COMA MISSION MEETS TODAY Mir. Corners Motion Regarding Three Cent Passenger Fares Will Prob
 ably Be Up for Dis
 cusslon.

Montgomery, September 2S.-(Special.)- In his report on the books of the officers of Tuscaloosa county, Assistant State Ex- aminer w. F. Wilkinson says that while there has been a good increase during the past year in the tax valuations it Is not what it should be by any means. He notes: Instead of the valuations for 1905 being in round numbers S7,O0O0O0 they should be from the testimony of some of the best judges of the county at least $11,- 600, 900. Tuscaloosa Is the third county in Alabama in mineral wealth besides having fine agricultural and timber lands
 Continuing, Examiner Wilkinson says: "The total valuations of property for the year 1903 was $e, e,4s2,777; for the year 1904 s6.Sls. TO; for the year 1905. S7Sn ,56O, show Ing an increase of 1904 over 1903 of $780, 933 and of 1905 over 1904 of $527, ,s50'
 It is also pointed out by the examiner i. that the tax collector paid into the state treasury in 1908 the following sums: Gen eral tax, sl5S65.s1: soldiers, S6, ,167. 45; school, sls.4s7.S: and for the year 1904, general. sl62sl. .75; soldiers. s6, 532.59; school, s19,5S .63. These amounts were exclusive of commissions, mileage, costs and trans portation.
 The list of the Tuscaloosa officers ex- amined is as follows: Probate Judge ]. C.. Brown. Sheriff W. c. Kyle. Circuit Clerk B. B. Cooper, Superintendent of Educa- tion P. B. Hughes. Tax Assessor J. P. Park, Tax Collector S. D. McGee.
 History Meeting.
 An important meeting, which is the an nual session. will be held by the board of trustees of the state department of arr chives and history next Monday. The as sembling will take place in the office of the director, Dr. Thomas M. Owen, in the capitol, and it is expected that there will be goodly number of the trustees here.
 Dr. Owen will have to report the dis covery and return to Alabama of many old flags carried by Confederate com mands in the war of the 60s and the pros pect of getting in many others. He will also have to tell of q number of other valuable collections, including some of the rarest newspaper files known.
 The following make up the board: Presi- ident and trustee from the Third district Governor William D. Jeks, Peter J. Ham ilton Mobile; J. M. Falkner, Montgomery; J. H. Johnson, Talladega Dr. w. H. Blake, Sheffield; Henry B. Foster, Tusca- loosa; o. D. Street, Guntersville; William Richardson, Huntsville; Sam VIII John Birmingham.
 Railroad Commission.
 There is much interest in the meeting of the state railroad commission which meets in regular session tomorrow, and at which 1t is expected all the commis- sioners will be present. Attention will likely gather around the motion of three cent fares on short lines of railroad, or the discussion of such a movement and showing of the transportation lines of which such charges should not be install ed. There is also q possibility of some jim crow car talk in the hearing of a motion to correct certain alleged care lessness In the matter of separating the races.
 The motion regarding rates of passen- ger charges ON branch lines as made by Mir. Conner Is directed at the Louisville and Nashville in one case and the TuS- kegee short line in another. In the case of the latter road the distance Is five miles and the fare 50 cents, or 10 cents a mile. MT. Conner has taken the posi- tion that with short lines independent in control of the trunk lines, the fares shall be regulated in the light of receipts and cost of operation, but that where short lines belong to established systems of considerable mileage the fare should not be more than for the service on main lines.
 Welch Named. T. L. Welch has been appointed tax as- sessor of Talladega county temporarily to take over the work of the office while the man elected to the office, D. M. Nal lory, is out of the state seeking health MT Welch is a kinsnlan and on the bond of MT. Mallory.
 George Viberg, now serving sentence in New York for the passing of counter | felt money, and whose term will expire October IF, next. will be returned to Ala bama to serve a sentence of fifteen months for petit larceny in Montgomery county, and later a state charge good for four years. Viberg escaped from the | mines of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company October 23. 1904. These appointments have been made by the governor: Notary public and justice of the peace. c. s. McDougal, Vernon; J. A. Caddell, Jemison.
 The B. O. Harris Grocery company has been organized at Mobile with capital of s25,000. B. o. Harris is at the head of 1t.