The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-24
Speakers Co After State Tax Commission With Ham,
 mer and longs
THINK ACTION UNFAIR TO
 JEFFERSON TAX PAYERS
Resolution Denies That Property In Birmingham Is Assessed at 28.7o Per Cent of Its Intrin-
 sic Value.

That the real estate men of Birming- ham are against the raising of the taxes of Jefferson county was plainly brought out in meeting of the Birmingham Real Estate association at the Commercial club rooms yesterday afternoon. The meeting was a strong protest against the action of the state tax commission de- manding that property in Jefferson coun- ty be taxed on a basis of 60 per cent of the value of the property instead of an average of 30 per cent, as has been done in the past.
 Several speeches denounclng this action were made. and number of sarcastic re- marks were cast at the legislature, tax commissionsand board of revenue. asking what was to be done with the money thus collected. 1t was stated that while the property owners of Birmingham had paid taxes to the amount of S25l ,S34 62 during the year 1906, that they had also paid out $S67, 916. 30 for street Improvements during the same year, and it was denied that the property in Jefferson county was only be- ing taxed 2S. 70 per cent of it's intrinsic value. 1t was also maintained that Jeff
 
 of the entire taxes of the state.
 Tancey States Object.
 The meeting was called to order by President Yancy, who stated that the in- crease in tax assessments proposed by the state tax commission was unfair to the property owners of Jefferson county, and that a definite plan of action should be decided upon for arriving at a basis sat- isfactory to both the state and property owner.
 Back Tax Commissioner Thompson then made an address explaining the action oI the commission He stated that when some of the railroads had protested to the commission at Montgomery against the tsxation of their property that they had taken Jefferson county as one or their illustrations to show that the rali- roads were paying a much higher rate than other property was being taxed They used in their illustration 665 sales and showed that the property covered by these sales was being taxed on an aver age of only 90 per cent As result Of i this the tax commission had proposed to the Board of Revenue of Jefferson coun- ty that the matter of raising this to an average of 60 per cent be taken up. MT. Thompson also stated that the mem | bers of the state tax commission had im- pressed him with making an honest effort to equaHze taxation all over the state, and that he believed by the end of their ! four years of service they would have all of the counties in the state taxed on an equal basis.
 Gives Some Examples. MT. Thompson then exhibited a chart of that part of Birmingham between Six l teenth street and Twenty-sxth street. north, and the Alabama Great Southern railroad and Fifth avenue, showing the valuation which had been placed on the property in that section. The following are q few examples of the values fixed | by the commission:
 | First National Bank building, s500,0vO. | Woodward building, s500,0OO. | Morris hotel, S265,C00
 Chalifoux building $1000O0. | Bijou theatre, s450O0.
 | This property will be assessed at 60 per cent of tho values shown above, accord ing to the ruling of the tax commission. MT Thompson further stated that in ar- | irving at the increased valuation the sales of property made to the railroads had not been taken into consideration and also that the tax commission had not considered any of the property thus sold in arriving at their average percentage of 30 per cent
 A resolution was then introduced by T. II. Motion denying that Jefferson coun- ty was only paying taxes on 2S.70 per cent of the intrinsic value of the property. which was unanimously passed. The put ting of this resolution brought forth warm talks by Robert Jemison. Jr., B. NJ. Allen E. J. Smyer, Col R. II. Pearson. ". N. Malone w E. Leedy, Capt r. L. Demere, M. P. Messer and others Each of the speakers went after the state tax commission with hammer and tongs.
 Committee of Twenty-Five Named.
 Under the resolution a committee of twenty-five was appointed to enter q pro- test and to do all in their power to pre- vent the property in Jefferson county from being assessed in any material ad- vance over the assessments of 1906. Un- der an amendment to this resolution this committee Is authorized to add members to 1t from different parts of the county when in their judgment they think it is necessary.
 The committee appointed Is as follows; B. M Allen, R. H. Pearson. E. J. Smyer, T. o. Smith, ". B. Leedy. W. H. 1 Woodward, w. M. Walker William Hood. W. J. Milner, W. H. Graves, Robert Jemison, Jr.. T. H. Motion, C. F. Enslen, w. N. Malone, J. w. Mcconnell w. A. smith, Sterling A. Wood M. P Messer, S. Bethea. D. L. Brown, F. N. cullom. R. N. Wheeler. R. P. McDavid. Text of Resolution. The resolution passed Is as follows: Resolved, by the Birmingham Real Es- tate association and the taxpayers of Jefferson county, here assembled. as fol- lows:
 l l. That we view with more or less alarm | the demand made by OUT state tax com i mission that the assessed values of prop erty in Jefferson county be more than | doubled.
 , ? We deny that our property Is as- sessed at only 2.7O per cent of its real | intrinsic value.
 l g. We believe that the state tax commis- | sion has been misled and mislnformed as | to the facts in the case; that a record Of about 13O sales. and the assessed value | for l006 which the commission has on