The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-10
Executive Document is Read to States Law makers Upon Their
 Reassembling for
 Summer Ses-, | sion.

The message by Governor Conner to th6 Legislature upon reconvening yes- tefday morning had been awaited with nok little interest in political circles. < Tfs full text of the message, as read xotthe legislators, is as follows.
 Montgomery, July sth. 1907
 ToEth Senate and House of Represeh'
 T eonsratulate you on your safe re- { tufn and resumption of your laoor s II >a needless to express confidence m th3 contiued conservatism and patrio- tish of your conduct. l congratulate yo6 on the success of your previous Se1sion, and can assure you that the people believe that you have done great work and put in propulsion rae faotors that will make historic this asaembly.
 Xou have laid the proadest founda- tions for far-reaching educational i'm provement; you have put in process the Accomplishment of facilities which will enable the youth of the land to measure up in educational requirement with any of our sister States, and If < carried to the completeness that your provisions will authorize, will make Alabama the peer of any, just as It IS the correct policy to take all or the raw material of the state and fashion it into finished and higher priced pro- duct; just. as it s the correct policy to take agricultural lands and by proper treatment intensity and enlarge theis production. just so you have made is the policy of the state to take the crude material in the shape of the youth or the state. and by putting on and put ting in education, intensity the value of the citizenship of the state. The far-reaching importance of these acts will be more and more understood and appreciated as the generations come Midas, 1t Is said. turned everything that he touched into gold. The touchins prehensive factors for earnest thought and work is vastly more important to the welfare of the state than these attributes sscri6ed tS I Midas
 You have created a state tax com mission, and by this means made pos gible the equalization of tax values throughout the state. I will explain that the report from your tax commis- sioners Is that ninety per cent of those people who pay taxes on property value sixty per cent are farmers and small holders. and that ninety per cent of leas than thirty per cent are large owners and corporations, and that the most vigorous opposition to the validi- ", equity and exerqise of this law are parties who are assessing their proper " at one-tenth or one-twentieth of the correct value. When you fully understand that without this law there VIII US constant under assessing Ol lyAlues, making tax dodgers more and more the vogue, and more and more the danger. you will fully appreciate the Importance of this law to the state. The operation of this law after a series or years. will, 1 think demonstrate fl as one of the most far-reaching for good of the laws you have passed.
 Vagraney.
 Your vagrancy laws are commend able and are working well. 4
 Intangible Frawehlse Tax.
 Your intangible franchise tax law an which public service corporations are required to pay taxes to the value or the franchise. a property which earns interest ana which is to every intent as much property as anythine alse and as much subject to taxation as much so as a COW. a horse. an acre of land or a stock of goods, in fact more so because 1t is a gift from the people. This value, intangible, and yet Q value you have made taxable To Illustrate: There is a corporation tn Birmingham that pays on one and three quarter million dollars valuation and they have just voted to issue bonds to the extent of twenty-five millions on that property. But for this intan. Gtble tax you could not reach them Again, there is a railroad in this statt That believe Is earning interest or eighty thousand dollars per mile which railroad could possibly be reproduced Tor thirty-five thousand dollars per mile. It is by means of this tax on Intangible property that you are able to reach them and have them pay s reasonable tax on that intangible value