The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-22
JEFFERSON COUNTY
 ASSESSMENTS LOW
Ranges from 1 3-4 Per Cent
 to 58 Per Cent
MITCHELL CORRECTS ERROR
Real Estate Men Have Called Meeting for Tomorrow Afternoon to Dis cuss Proposed Raises In
 Birmingham.

In a recent talk, Mr J. J. Mitchell. chairman of the state tax commission, stated that newspaper articles accusing the tax commission of proposing to double taxes on all property of all the people in the state was unjust and unfair to the commission. He said that 1t Is not true that only 30 per cent of the actual value of property has been given in for taxa tion throughout the state.
 "The fact is." said Mir Mitchell, that in the twenty-odd counties which the commission has visited the values vary from 5S per cent in Lauderdale, 56 per cent in Colbert, down to 2S per cent in Jefferson. It is also a fact that taxable values in Jefferson range from as low as 13l per cent to 5S per cent on the abstract of transfers and assessments against the same which the court used as a guide in that county"
 MT. Mitchell says these figures show the gross inequality In tax values which ex- ist in Alabama among the several coun- ties of the state. and which exist in the county of Jefferson among the several 1 taxpayers of the county, and clearly proves the necessity for some better sys- tenn of equalizlng than has existed in the state in the past
 As a matter of fact, he states the state tax commission is making a diigent ef- fort to equaize taxation in the state.
 Real Estate Men Protest.
 The matter of readjustment of assess ments in Jefferson county Is still attract Ing much attention Among the strenu- ous opponents of the proposition to make heavy increases in Jefferson county are the members of the Birmingham Real ] Estate association. J. l.. Yancey, presi- dent, and James Bailey, secretary, have called q meeting of the association for Thursday afternoon to discuss the sub jeet The call is made in these words: Members of the Birmingham Real Es- l tate association are requested to meet | in the Commercial club assembly room on Thursday the 23d inst. at D. m., for | the purpose of considering a serious prop ostion now before the taxpayers of Jeff ferson county, that of having our taxes more than doubled.
 This proposition comes from our state commission, which appeared before our Board of Revenue last week, and the chairman of said commission very forcibly instructed our county back la xcommis- sioner and Board of Revenue to the effect | that from reports furnished the commits sion by the county back tax commissioner real estate in Jefferson county is now as sessed at 2s.70 per cent of it's real cash market value, and 1t must be increased to 60 per cent
 Judge Mitchell chairman of the board of state tax commissioners, in his able | charge to the Board of Revenue and back tax commissioner, stated if the back tax commissioner and the Board of Revenue fail in the discharge of their duty In bringing assessments up to 60 per cent of values, that the law provides and em- | powers the state commission to do the 1 work and while the state commission | would regret the necessity for coming back to Jefferson county, they are deter2 mined in the matter and the increase will be made
 l No Plan of Action Outlined.
 Tn making this call we do not suggest or outline any plan of action. nor do we crlticise the state tax commission. the county Board of Revenue or the county back tax commissioner; 1t does, however, occur to us that the basis of value of our property should not be made up from re- cent sales, as we all know that much property has been sold in Birmingham | within the last two years for railroad purposes at extravagant prices; we also | know that the bulk of sales has been for speculative purposes and the values based ! on anticipation of what Birmingham Is | to be. We do not believe 1t fair to base values on these prices and believe 1t | would be much farer to base values on the net income which improved property brings, and that vacant property would bring If improved.
 This is very serious matter Jefferson county Is now paying about one-sixth of the whole states taxes. Judge Mitchell charged the Board of Revenue that 1t mattered not what the other counties are paying, that Jefferson must and shall pay on a basis of co per cent of values. and that reports made to his commission, based on recent sales, show that we are only paying on a valuation of 2s.70 per cent. Talk about equalzationl Does any one believe that the property in Jefferson county is worth one-sixth as much as all the property in the entire state of Ala bama?
 "If we expect continued prosperity in this county and expect outsiders to invest in our real estate, we must oppose any movement to make our taxes burden some.
 "It has been the policy of this associa- tion to invite to our meetings property owners and taxpayers fer counsel and ad- vice, and as this is perhaps the most se- rious matter that the association has ever had for consideration. we hereby invite property owners and taxpayers to attend the meeting Ciardi Electrocuted. Auburn, N. Y, May 2l.-Carlo Ciardi, who was convicted in Ithica of the mur- der of Luigi Porzl on November 30 1904