The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-04
TAX ASSESSMENT BOARD IN SESSION Every Member Attends the
 First Meeting ROAD OFFICERS ATTEND Some of the Railroads and Telephone and Telegraph Companies Not
 Being Ready Are Given
 More Time.

Montgomery, April. 3.-(Special. .)-The leading feature of the state house show today is the meeting of the state board of assessment, gathered for the purpose of assessing the rails and rolling stock of the railroads of the state and the lines and poles of the long distance telephone and telegraph companies. The board IS made up of the governor, who is the pres ident, the secretary of state, the auditor and the treasurer, with the attorney gen. eral in an advisory capacity, and with a vote only in case of a tie. The chief clerk to the auditor is the clerk of the board.
 When the board assembled it was found that all were present, as follows: Cover nor B. B. Conner, Secretary of State Frank N. Julian, Auditor William w. Brandon, Treasurer Walter D. Seed, At torney General Alexander M. Garber. To the several members of the railroad forces present the governor said that It was not intended to be drastic, the idea being to get at the values of the prop erty. including all sorts and kinds of securities and bonds and the attorneys for the roads will be supplied with knowl- edge of what is desired in the way of in formation.
 Railroad Representatives.
 The railroad representatives present in- cluded the following: George w. Jones and J. B. Jones of Montgomery. for the Louisville and Nashville; General Man ager R. V. Taylor and J. M. Foster of Mobile, for the Mobile and Ohio A. NJ. Tunstall Greensboro for the Southern; Robert E. Steiner, Montgomery. for the Western the Central of Georgia and the Seaboard Air Line; Archie Arlington, Montgomery, for the Atlantic Coast Line; A. G. Smith. Birmingham. for the Ala bama Great Southern; Cecil Browne, Tal- ladega. for the Atlanta Birmingham and Atlantic; W. NJ. Blunt, Union Springs, for the Union Springs and Northern; F. R. Wise for the Sumter and Choctaw; John T. Cochrane. Tuscaloosa. Alabama, Ten nessee and Northern and the TombiGbee Valley Representatives were also present for the Postal Telegraph Cable company and the Western Union Telegraph com pany.
 Governor Conner called up the question of intangible assets and notified the rail road men here that he wanted them to be ready at such time as it was agreed upon to hear all their tax arguments to discuss intelligently this new feature of the law. He also said that the state tax commis- sion would be asked to sit with the board of assessment as it is Ihe desire of the state officers that this feature of the rev enue laws be fully understood and what can be done discovered.
 The assessment of the Mobile. Jackson and Kansas City was raised from S6Oo0 to $7200 for main line and SlSO0 for sid- ings: Alabama and Tennessee left at s40O0: Tombigbee Valley set at $2o00 from Sl500; Sumter and Choctaw, SS500. The owners of the last named. which is only a logging road. surprised the members of the board by turninr his line in at the figures named They were at once accepted
 Given More Time.
 It was found that many of the roads. notably the larger systems. were not ready to go into the matter at this time. as result of not having had time to digest and assimilate the new tax laws. It was therefore decided to give them more time, and the following dates were set for hearings, at which time the rep resentatives of the roads are told that they will have to go over the entire scope of tax provisions:
 Telegraph and telephone companies. April 15; Seaboard and connections. April 16; Coast Line. April 1T; Louisville and Nashville. April IS; Western and the Cen tral of Georgia. April 1s: Southern. week of April %. Other dates will be arranged later.
 The roads which were taken up at once were the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City represented by J. C. Rich of Mo- bile. Others were the Alabama. Tennes- see and Northern, the Tombigbee Valley and the Sumter and Choctaw. The old