The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-20
TAX QUESTION IS
 STILL LIVE ISSUE Many Think Revision is Hard
 on Jefferson ALL FAVOR EQUALIZATION Prominent Man Wants to Know What VIII ee Done With All Money Secured By Doubling Val ?
 uations.
ALL FAVOR EQUALIZATION

The question ofeincreasing the taxable values of property in Jefferson county by the state tax commission Is still subject of great concern to Birmingham property owners, many of whom feel that tax valuations as they now stand here are just about right and need no revision. While it is admitted by many that revision might be made in the Birming- ham district to procure greater equaliza- ton, they believe that this county, which pays about one-slxth of the total taxes of the state, should not be made to bear burdens which other counties throw off.
 A prominent lawyer. in discussing the tax question few days since, declared that the Alabama farmer gets a big ad- vantage over the city business man in the matter of taxation. for while valua- ton of city property in this state is con stantly increasing, little or nothing is heard of the value of farm lands in- farmer.
 This man argued that much of the farm land of this state is capable of producing from half to a whole bale of cotton per acre and he said that he had seldom heard of such land being assessed at more than five dollars per acre. when 1t was actually worth six times that sum.
 Equalization of taxes throughout the state, he declared, would not be obJec- tionable, provided the rich counties are not made to bear the entire burden of the states revenues.
 A prominent business man of the city yesterday expressed his views on the tax question as follows:
 Tt strikes me as passing strange that the policy of the recently created state tax commission, seems to be, to arbitra- fly to fix the taxable value of property at 60 per cent of its real value, regardless of the tax rate that obtains for the state ton, I take it, Is, or should be, to place tax value on property sufficient only to meet the requirements of the government under a fair and reasonably economical | administration. The question of whether 1 property is given in at 30 per cent or 60 l per cent of it value has no real bearing on the case, provided that the rate Is such as to raise enough money for the needs of the government wisely and fair y administered. I understand that the state, under the present basis of tax val nations, had collected enough money not only for all of it's needs, but, In addition, enough to accumulate a gratifying sur plus. This being the case there seems to be no good reason why tax values should be raised to higher level, unless the state needs more money to conduct it's business in legitimate way. or unless reckless extravaganza in the matter of appropriations has forced the present ad- minstration to the point, where the rev | enue must be increased by heavy taxa | ton to meet at least one of the needs
 
 "If 1t be true that only 90 per cent of | the actual value of property has been | given in for taxation generally througs- | out the state, if it be true that this has | been sufficient to meet all of the just requirements and needs of the govern ment (until the assumption of power by l the Conner administration, If 1t be true I that the tax commission, created by the will and guided by the wishes of the gov ernor, proposes to double taxes on all 1 the property of all the people in the l state, by fixing the value of 60 per cent l instead of 30 per cent, then 1t follows that 1 the tax revenue of the state will be ex- l actly doubled and the question presents 1 itself to all property owners, rich and poor alike, as to whether or not our | government Is now being conducted eith- CT wisely or well
 "The present administration was put in power, it was understood, to relieve the people of the enormous tax levied by the railroads in the way of excessive freight rates Were they told, or had they a right to expect to be compelled against their wishes, to pay out In addition taxes much more than they could possibly hope to save by freight reductions? Is it not time to stop and think?"
 
 child and let all ye respect and obey him"
 He then showed how the powers would