The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-21
Messenger Bureau.

~~NA
mission, as the state tax commission,
made its annual report to the governor
Monday. The work Of the commission
is outlined and tables prepared showing
everything in regard to assessment and
tax matters, there being &c tables.
From these it seems that the number of
polls listed was 281, 076 against 275,459
for the previous year and that the
total assessed value of all The property
was $461 ,500,668 against SAP, $751;,
showing ali increase of SIS, 1922, 44G for
the year, which is regarded as very
satisfactory. The incomes listed were
5 ,798, 895 against $2,454, 5O4. The total
tax levied on property was S., 433 1923;
for state pensions and county purposes
and Of this $65, 1876 was not collected.
The tax levied ON polls and property
for municipal purposes was $1,187, 51J,
Of which $155,071 was not collected.
The commission thinks great progress
is made in listing and assessing prop
erty during the past six years, rs in
1900 the total assessment was $2G1.-
269,558, the increase during that period
having been 1910, 251.11O. The commits
sion agrees that there is more equal
assessment and less property taxation
thar eve before, yet there is great
inequality in assessments in different
counties and even in different town
ships in the same county, list
takers in many cases without any
preparation being expected to perform
this O important duty. The IN
mission thinks that it should be made
the duty of some officer Or county
commissioner to supervise the work Of
the township list-takers and assessors.
1t thinks that provisions Of the revenue
act requiring secrecy as to returns Of
corporations and incomes of individuals
should be repealed. 1t favOrs an eN-
emptiOn of personal property from
taxation of $500 instead of $25, that the
poll tax not exceed 81. The constitu-
ton provides for both these things. 1t
further recommends that laws author
ling cities and towns levying poll
taxes for municipal purposes be repeal
ed, as no other state in the union per-
mits a poll tax of Sc or 81, which is
collected in some cities and towns in
this state, for state, county and nlunir-
ipal purposes. This oppressive tax
being levied under the idea that in
municipal taxes the equation the on
%stitution requires between property and
polls must be observed.
The commission reports with pleas
nre that the poll tax in Mecklenburg
has been limited by the Legislature,
and in Wilmington and some other
places has been reduced by those
places. The commission recommends
that no more acts be passed allowing Il
higher tax rate han &C 2-3 on the 500
value for state and county purposes
combined and that the municipal tax
rate be-so limited that when added TO
state and county tax rate on property
it would not be confiscatory Of any
kind of property.
The total tax raised for all purposes,
state. pension. schools, county and
municipal is s7,935,453 MecklenDulg
county shows the largest valuation of
property and the largest tax, $~18,627,-
S48 and $241 ,263, respectively, Wake
being next, Durham third, BuncOmbe
fourth. Guilford fifth, Forsyth sixth,
New Hanover seventh, Robson eighth.
while Clay is the smallest having a
valuation Of only $646, 106 and paying
taxes amounting to $S,241. The total
assessed value of corporations, except
railroads and banks, is $45, 024, 43T. and
of banks S12, 975. S65.
The executive committee of the state
board OF agriculture which has BEEN
given charge Of the matter Of imprOv-
ing the agricultural building decides
10 defer action until a future time. be-
cause of a lack Of funds. Major W. A.
Graham, the chairman Of the commit
tee. said to your correspondent that the
board of agriculture vet owed some
$4,000 On the new building At he
Agricultural and Mechanical college
and that it would take something like
that amount to put the old building Oc-
cupied by the department in the shape
it ought to be. He added that It was
very probable the receipts from the
sales of fertilizer tax tags would fall
off quite materially, rs the farmers
were really not able to pay for feTtil-
iZers. after such a disastrous year rs
this has proved to 50 many of them.
He says it is only a question Of time
when the improvements will be made
and when made it will be worthy of
the state and the department.
Ben Williams, the negro who is to
be hanged here Thursday. is in great
fear of death and now talks about it
constantly. Up to a day Or w ago
he seemed to have an idea that he
would escape the galloWs, but now he
has abandoned all hope.
- April a grand concert is to be
given here. n performance of which
will be by Walter Damrosch, with his
great festival orchestra. II is to be
held in the academy OF music and will
continue two days. Three performances
will be by local talent, assisted by
New York soloists, and the concluding
one will be by Damrosch.
Charters are granted the Kitchen
Lumber Company. at the town Of that
name in Swain county, the stockhold-
ers being from Kentucky and Tennes-
see mainly, and the amount Of capital
stock being 500, 600; the Asheviile
Rapid Transit Company. to take over