The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-16

land of the farmer held on his place for farm farm PurrpSSsee PpurppSS,s and which win stay for the State. and this difference should be so listed in the taxable returns of A man with large holdings of city property and put1fc service property. a man with thousands of acres of coal and ore lands. man with franchise man with a railroad worth many mil lions should ratably and proportionate- ly pay his share of the taxes; as a rule none of them pay 1t. Right here I will against corporations. and my belief is that one of the causes of prejudice against corporations is the successful manner In which the large holders se- protection and pay-the least partsof the cost for that protection. It is too evil dent that the tax values of the proper ties of the State require equalizing. There is a great deal being said about the tax values of farm lands and the smallness of same. If the tax values of the State were equalized, bearing on every property alike, the strong like the weak. the rich like the poor, would pay in proportion to their property holdings, on the same parity of value. and 1t is the judgment of all that the
 moneys of the State would be ample to meet every reasonable requirement of the State. If you will accomplish without fear or favor this great end your economic appropriations will be safe and the administrative task easy.
 State Board of Assessors.
 The tax values of the State are very crude, irregular and unequal. Time has for the tax assessors of the different Icountiess to establish equitable and just values of the properties. and par ticularly so when it comes to the com paratfve relations of the different counties in the State. Therefore. sug- gest that you establish state assess ing board composed of three members, tax assessments of the state. and whose duty 1t shall be to equalize the values of all property in the. State, so that the same general relation will be es- tablished for assessing tax values on all the property in all Of the counties of the State.
 I recommend that railroad properties vice corporations in this tate shall be | assessed for taxation at a valuation in proportion to the valuation they give in for the purpose of fixing freight rates and charges on the people of the State.
 I recommend that franchises, which have money value, shall be classed as any other property in the State, erty in the State and pay taxes.
 | Assets and LiabiIities.
 The assets of the State, according 1906. page Is. were S1.S14.45337 in the treasury, and liabilities. or regular ap- propriations, against same of s1,4Sl.- cash in the treasury after all demands paid. As per the auditors report on December 1. 1906. there were sl.- S5.725.17. against which there were tol improvement, an unpaid balance to the common school fund of $S94,977.- 5S. the and per cent fund of $S,- 264.39 and the Polytechnic Institute hli a nj 54. In other words. if tine States debts at that time had been paid, there would have been balance in the treasury, December l. 1908. of only s117.249.6s In the event the State had appropriated last year $1,0S5,725.17 more than it did, l there would not have been anything in the treasury to pay the charges against of the auditors report, showing the net surplus of $337,000, 1t would seem that this is safe amount. subject to any might make. and by the auditors re- port. December 1, 1906, of Sa,085, 725.I7 In the treasury if you were to make individual and cumulative appropria- l tions to that amount you would con- sume all the money In the treasury, and 1t would not be safe to go beyond | that omunt ! does not evidence millions in the treas | ury. 1t is true that at some seasons of the year. when the taxes are practically | all III ana the dppTOpr1aIlOnS nOL que, | and not paid. the amount in the treas l ury looks large, but at other times of | the year when more of the States in- debtedness is paid, the amount in the treasury is very much smaller, aud IL | would be very dangerous for you to make appropriations based on the maxi | mum amount in the treasury You can safely base your appropriations only on | the minimum amount in the treasury: | it does the States credit no good to | be compelled to go out and borrow | money to meet an expense account. To | make safe annual increased appropria- | tions up to $1,000,000. l have discount | nd that you will establish method to 1 equaliZe the assessed valuation ot prop | erty for taxation and consequent tn- creased tax returns of the State that l | think will give the State an increased | assessment of $75.000,000 a year, and | tax returns from that amount.
 1 would suggest, therefore, that you l appropriate first for the care Of our most urgent requirements. those which are absolutely n"cessary, and bring the most lasting benefits. and which should not under any circumstances be put | aside or compromised. The treasury of the State can not be likened to the fruit in an orchard that is distant from | the watchful care of its owner. appar- | ently licensing any paSser to step in and help himself: 1t must be under the most watchful care and guard of the protectors and law makers of the State and not necessarily subject to the pro- l motion of the various schemes which win be presented to you. We must all remember that these moneys come from taxes levied on the properties ot the State and should be used. not as liberalities, but for those just and economical demands which build up the properties and interests of the State. The establishing of new offices and new expenses is easy, the mainto- nance of them will be an additional charge on the properties of the State. and should be entered into only after the most prudent investigation and de- liberation.
 Sub-TreasurIeN-
 The States method of keeping US moneys out of use hid away ill vaults is akin to the old system of putting money in your stocking or hiding II under the bricks of the fireplace,
 Aside from the danger of this method. 1t is quite loss to the business inter- est that this money should be locked away from the channels of trade. And would suggest the enactment Of a statute authorizing the State treasurer,
 with whatever adjuncts of co-operH-
 ton or advice you may deem best, to deposit this money with the banks of
 the State under clear conditions of se- curlty by depositing with the treasury
 competition as to the amount of in-
 terest to be paid on said deposits, and
 the method of distributing through the
 State according to the requirements and best interest Of the treasury
 COnVicts.
 The present arrangement governing
 our conVtcts seems to be giving req sonably' humane treatment to the con
 vict and large revenue to the State