The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-06-24
TIMBER MEN KICK
ON ASSESSMENTS
Think Grave Injustice is Being
Perpetrated
GOSSIP FROM HATTIESBURG
Immense Timber Deal Is Consummat-
ed In Vicinity of Philadelphia,
Mlss.-Nearly a Million
Dollars Involved.
GOSSIP FROM HATTIESBURG

Hattiesburg, Miss. June 2S-(Special)-
The convention of county Supervisors of
South Mississippi recently held in this
city will result in important influences
upon the lumber trade of this section, and
will bring money to the pockets of those
who are holding uncut timber lands In
the pine woods.
While the call for the convention was
setforth In language calculated to give the
idea that 1t was for the consideration of
county governmental affairs in all their
aspects, and while the convention was
open to all the state, the attendance was
limited almost altogether to the pine
wood counties. and nearly every delegate
rame with but one purpose in mind, name
ly to devise some means to prevent the
raise In the assessment Of the timber
lands This one idea dominated the con-
vention and while the resolutions of the
convention as finally adopted covered a
great deal of ground with respec. to
constitutional convention, legislative rep
resentaton, school appropriations and
such matters practically every delegate
went HOHlt Will luO iboolulApil III iio
mind to see to it that the assessment of
timber lands should be placed no higher
than it positively must go.
The situation is a complicated one. 1t
involves the whole future of the lumber
bushes sof this section. Heretofore timber
lands of the virgin variety have been
assessed IN South Mississippi at from 81
to IS per acre. Paying tax on that as
sessment, the owner of the land could
afford to hold onto 1t forever, and the
cost per annum would be but slight
fraction of the increase In value of the
land But this year the quadrennial as
sessment of realty is in progress through
out the state, and with virgin timber land
selling on the open market for $50 per acre
and more. there has been a general de-
mand for a great increase in the assess
ment on the same in conformity with the
constitutional requirement that all prop
erty shall be assessed at its fair market
value. County assessors In the pine coun-
ties have been proceeding on this PLAN
md timber lands have been raised to an
assessment of from $50 to $50 per acre
The holders of the lands. whether private
persons. syndicates, residents or non-res-
idents have made no special objection to
this, believing it to be but fair and just
Assessment Not Just.
But 1t develops that there is nothing
fair or just about 1t. Up in the nor
thern cotton counties and in the rich
Mississippi delta, where lands cannot be
bought for less than $50 and 500 per acre,
the assessments are made on a valuation
of 50 per acre and thereabouts.
Why, then should the pine country,
which produces but one crop of timber,
be assessed a a value ten times greater
than the rich cotton lands which produce
a fortune every season?
Then there is this further patent injus-
ticc: Because of relatively high assess
ment and proportionately small scholas-
tic population, the pine woods counties
have been paying more money into the
state treasury than they have gotten out
for their schools, the distribution being
made on the basis of the scholastic popu-
lation in the various counties, while the
rich delta counties have been taking out
more than they put in. In other words,
the pine woods counties have been paying
money for the support of the northern
counties Just because assessments in the
northern counties were given in at Il
ridiculously low figure If. then the pine
woods counties shall raise their basis of
assessments the result will not be an
increase of revenue for the pine woods
counties, for the excess will go to the
STATE treasury 10 ne pIoIdttu dhipiS the
northern counties. Therefore to increase
the assessments on the pine woods lands
would mean only the robbery Of the pine
woods people.
But the law requires that all assess
snsnts shall be made on the basis of the
fair market value OF the realty.
They returned home with this assurance:
board of equalization. want to obey the
law, but at the same time they do not
propose to rob their own people for the
benefit of the northern planters who are
not troubled with scruples about violating
the law
1t was to discover some method by
which to escape this dilemma that most
of the supervisors attended this conven-
ton
That returned home with this assurance:
That the powers of supervisors as equal
Tiers Is unlimited. and they may reduce
assessment as well as raise them, though
they are not at liberty to make horizon
tai reductions. They must act upon each
piece of property separately.
No public declaration was made as to
what the supervisors would do wnen they
Ego home, but in private conversation they
made it plain that they have no purpose
TO tax the pine lands of South Mississippi
higher than the plantations of the rich
been completed in many of the pine woods
,countes. and the values of the timber
lands have been fived in most cases at high
Hglires But now these rolls will come be-
fore the supervisors. and 1t is safe to
expect that there will be such parings as
will bring relief to the holders of the
timber lands.
Road Becomes Important.
Another instance has Just developed
where a short line of railroad originally
built for logging purposes has expanded
into the importance of a great system
This is the case OF the little road built
by the Finkbine Lumber company from
hts plant at Virgins, forty-five miles
north from Gulfport, across the country
No a connection with the Mobile Jackson
and Kansas City. which latter system, ac-
tcording to the daily newspapers, has just
been absorbed by the Frisco. Only three
miles of the little line remains to be built
10 complete the connection, and then the
Frisco will be within a few miles of Gulf
port 1t is also said that the Finkbine
road will be built on to a connection with
the Vinegar Bend logging road, which
Puns out from Leakesvile, the capital Of
Green county. This line Is being built
on standard guage. and is negotiating for
he Tha