The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-09
Back Tax Commissioner Thompson Uses Plain Lan-
 guage at the Hearing
8 MEN OWN 30 PER CENT
 OF JEFFERSON PROPERTY
Fifty Men Own Over Half of the County-Says Poor Men Do Not Object to an Equitable
 Assessment.


S-%4*~&%%%%%%@< % Tt looks to me as If the oppos- 1 Y ing counsel are going to talk these < -S- cases to death. Every property %- owner affected has received a cita- { . ton, and If necessary they can be { 's. be served by the proper person 1 -e- again within very few days. This 1 Q is not a second assessment, but Is 1 ' an addition assessment, which makes { . it perfectly legal. . '"rhe poor people are the ones { ~ who are paying the taxes of Jeffer- { . son county, and 1t is those with . plenty who are attempting to evade { . the law. Eight men who owp over { ' 30 per cent of the property In Jeff { ~ ferson county, and fifty out of 22,- 1 . 900 property owners own 50 per cent, < ' and most of these citations went to 1 . this fifty. The board only wants < . equalization; it wants to put a { ~- mans taxes on an equal basis with | ->- his neighbors. % ''The poor man pays his taxes in 1 . full Look at the crowd in atten- 1 -~- dance on this trial Are there < ->- any poor men in 1t? No. They are < Y the large owners of property; they 1 < are the men who are putting In 1 ~- their property at less than half 1 %- value. The figures of the Increase < -&- are correct and can be so proven. < < "One piece of property was given < Y in as worth $2O00 and a few days { < after sold for $3O,o0o. I have only 1 > assessed this at $2o,O00, and yet the < -e- owner kicks on that. Another was { -<- turned in at $7000 and sold for < < $15,0O0 % Tt is unfortunate that I am in < -% this fight, but I am in 1t to stay, < ' and will spend every cent coming < . to me in the fighting of if. I will < ' employ legal talent and fight 1t to < ' the end Back Tax Commissioner ! < B. A. Thompson. %%<<%++<%++<~4
 The fight on the increased tax valua ton as set by the state tax commission began yesterday morning before the boar of revenue. Indications point to a loni drawn cut legal battle, and one that wIl be fought to the last ditch by both sides E. J. Smyer spoke for about two hour erty owners, both attorneys attackin the legality of the state tax commissio bill and the manner In which the cita tions were served. Commissioner Thomp son spoke for a few minutes in behalf o the state; his speech fairly bristling wit hot shot. Attorney Frank S. White vii speak for the state this morning.
 Messrs. Bell and Smyer spoke along tn same line, quoting extensively from tn various authorities. They attacked tn constitutionality of the tax commission bill, and claimed that the raises ordere, by the tax commission were not legal
 Authority Is Too Absolute.
 They contended that the trial of thes cases could not be held at this time a they had not been advertised for the fiji the manner in which the citations ha, been served was not legal. They contend cd that these citations must be serve' by the tax assessor personally and no by the tax commissioner.
 They also contended that body whlcl commission is illegal in that it is a al rect violation of the democracy of thi country; that this authority makes II limit to their despotism; that they coul' select ten to twelve counties and rais their taxes and purchase the political in fluence of the other counties by allow ing their taxes to remain low; that gave the atmosphere of a czar to then as there was provided no power of i'm peachment; that the tax commission lay was unconstitutional because 1t does no give due process of law to the taxpayers that this assessment was unconstitutiona as 1t was the second one within a year
 MT. Smyer said: We are told by tn newspaper reports that the tax commis sion proposes to raise the assessments o Jefferson county nearly 30 per cent. A the present this county pays nearly one fifth of the total taxes of the state, not withstanding the fact that it comprise only a small per cent of the territory o the state. Yet the tax commission order that the tax burdens of Jefferson count. be doubled Does this look like equaliza ton? At the present the value of land per acre in Jefferson Is s12.11. In othe counties the value of land per acre varie to 9i. lHtJ may ciiiii lAit Jefferson is mineral county, but ther are at least twenty-eight other minera counties in the state.'
 Mir. Smyer spoke at the morning sessiol and MT. Bell in the afternoon. After MT Bell had finished MT. Thompson spok in behalf of the state for a few minutes
 VIII Fight Every Point.
 The fight against the increase is bein put up by the Birmingham Real Rstat association. who have collected iron property owners who wish to fight it sum equal to one-tenth of one per cen of the taxes paid for 1906. The attorney employed by them are among the best t. be secured, and will fight every point The notice of the trial of these cases ha been advertised already for twelve days so that only three days are left for tn fifteen days notice required. The cita tions can also be served again within very few days. The hearing will be re stunned at 10 o'clock this morning.
 nRTY0I IHRyc1r~rs