The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-07
l NEW TAX EXHIBITS
 ARE PUT ON DOCKET
Property Owners Can Make
 Fight Before Board
MANY ARE STILL KICKING
Real Estate Association Has Elm ployed Counsel to Lead In Fight Against Increase of Assess
 ment to 50 Per Cent.

Back Tax Commissioner Thompson filed with the Board of Revenue yesterday morning tax exhibits covering the in crease necessary for the equalization of tax values in Jefferson county to basis of 60 per cent of the real cash value of the property This is the result of the recent action of the new state tax com mission In instructing the Board of Rev enue to equalize tax values to 60 per cent. The state commission claimed that the tax values shown for Jefferson did not average more than 2S70 per cent of the real value of the property.
 lie board passed favorably on all the | exhibits shown and ordered them all docketed, and citations were ordered made to each property owner whom the in- crease will affect. Any one objecting to , the increase will have chance to fight it beginning with the second Monday in July. It is said that quite number of individuals and corporations object to the increase and that they will make stren- uous opposition.
 Will Make Hard Fight.
 This action of the state tax commis- sion has created quite stir and a num- Der of property owners have intimated that they are not going to stand the increase without making a very hard fight. The Birmingham Real Estate as- sociation has taken the matter up active ly and a committee of twenty-five was appointed to look into the matter, which committee subsequently, appointed sub committee of five to go after the state tax commission with hammer and tongs. The subcommittee will secure subscrip- tions from property owners desiring to kick against the increase with which they will employ legal talent in an en- deavor to repeal the law, which created the tax commission. This subscription is to be one-tenth of 1 per cent of the assessment for 1906 and any money not used will be returned pro rata.
 man familiar with tax affairs was discussing the action of the Real Estate association and had the following to sa.' yesterday in regard to it:
 Can Take 1t to Court.
 'T cannot understand just what law the Real Estate association will try to repeal. The subject is one of increased tax values, in my opinion, and if the Board of Rev enue and the property owner cannot agree as to the correct assessment the proper 1 ty-owner can take the issue to the cir cult court. There will be one disadvan- | tage about taking the matter to court, | though, and that is, instead of paying taxes on 50 per cent of the value of the property, the property-owner, If he loses | his case will be compelled to pay taxes on the entire value of the property, as the ruling of 60 per cent is not to be found | in the laws. The law says that taxes must be paid on the full value of the property, but the commission, realizing how hard it is to arrive at the exact valu- atlon, has instructed the Boards of Rev enue of the different counties that it will | be satisfied if a valuation of about 60 per cent is shown.
 This equalization of taxes will have more to do with giving us a lower rate than anything else, for the state has plen- ty of money in the treasury. Under this act the large tracts of farm lands and other property over the state which have been assessed In many instances at ridic- uously low figures, will be assessed at the proper value. In this way the state will have more money than it needs, and the result will be that everyone will be equal l ly taxed and that lower rate will apply. I also cannot understand why man wants to kick against having his prop erty paced at higher figure, as the mere fact of the increased valuation