The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-18

pledges. the full fruiton of which was not vet realized but that if it had done no other thing athan secure for assessment these millions which have so long es capped it would deserve the plaudits of the people. "The commission has assessed i these franchises of the public service cor poratons and done it as honestly and fairly as it knew how. has done it on the sixty per cent basis and it has put more than s2l l,G0o.o00 on the tax books to swell the scnool fund and the pension fund and ] To help pay the current expenses of the state government, and ultimately re ] duce the tax rate
 I In concluding his remarks the speaker ] said there were two matters on which ! county tax commissioners "out of busi- ness. One was the practice of having i small property owners cited before the courts uf county commissioners on little fifty and hundred dollar raises. that the revenue paid to the state and eoun- i ties on such raises were incOnsiderable ! while the annoyance to the taxpayer the loss of time in attendance upon court. the | witness fees and other court costs often amounted 10 ten times the amount of Che taxes resulting from the raise. That the : small owner should be made to pay his just proportion of taxes he conceded, but insisted that the tax assessors ought { H. secure proper values and save them the annoyance and costs above referred to- The other practice on which he asked the assessors to put the county tax commis- sioners "out of business was that of se- curing commissions for raising property up 10 the value which had been placed upon it by himself or the commissioners court the previous year
 Fixing of Tax
 
 Is placed upon q piece of property by compromise with the county tax com missioner or by the commissioners court the amount so fixed shall be the value for the succeeding year, and tax assess ors have no right to assess the property at less than has been so put upon it the previous year They ought to have with them when assessing taxes a list of the values Which have been so fixed and when the taxpayer undertakes to assess at lower value they ought to tell him that 1t cannot possibly pass the court and that to so assess 1t will only result in his being brought to court and having put the value back with added costs and the tax commissioner getting a commission of ten per cent of the taxes.
 Hewitt Speaks. Chairman Mitchell was followed by A. on how to detect and prevent escapes. A general discussion was then engaged in. The convention will meet again to- day when Gen w. w. Brandon, state auditor, and Attorney General Alexan7 der Garber will be among the speakers.
 Signs Paroles.
 Governor Conner signed two paroles today, one indefinitely and one for thir- ty days. Both benehciaries were white men.
 James Golson, sent up from Autaugua county four years ago for the murder in the second degree of Jesse Brantley was paroled for thirty days, 1t being shown that he is desperately i'll. His aged mother was pathetic figure at the executive suite.
 Henry Tice, sent up from Dale coun- ty for grand larceny, was paroled in definitely, and his civil and political rights were restored. A petition signed by the leading citizens of Dale county was presented to the governor.
 University Work.
 President J. w. Abercrombie of the University of Alabama was in confer ence with Governor Conner. chairman of the university building committee, and Architect Frank Lockwood relative to the commencement of the work on the new buildings at Tuscaloosa as pro- yided for in the $6O0000 appropriation made by the last legislature. President Abercrombie states that the attendance is the largest in the history of the in stitution and that by January l he ex- poets the attendance on the university and medical school to reach $50.
 Julian Is Better.
 Secretary of State Frank N. Julien, who has been threatened with malarial fever, is able to be back at his desk, although still unable to perform his full duties He postponed his intended trip to Richmond this week to attend the convention of Insurance commissioners
 Richardson's Funeral.
 All that was mortal of Judge Terry Richardson lies in Oakwood cemetery, where his body was inferred this morn ing at II o'clock in the presence of one of the largest gath erings of relatives and friends seen at a funeral here In many months.
 Funeral services were held from the late residence at 55 Jeff Davis avenue. The pallbearers were Col Charles D. Bricken. COS. C. F. Hamilton, Judge w. W. Pearson, E. C. Andrew and R. B. en,xtbe. The body was brought from Inverne Monday afternoon. Large del- egatfons from the Masonic and Knights of Pvthfas lodges attended. Great sor
 
 row prevails in the large circle of friends in which MT. Richardson moved. An adjournment was taken in the cir euit court out of deference to the fu- neral of one of the local bars most brilliant advocates
 Commission Not Required.
 According to q statement made here today the act creating railway com missions does not provide that the com missioners shall be furnished with formal commission from the governor. Their office becomes effective and their duties encumbent immediately on noti- acstton of their appointment by the governor. In this event the commis- sioners in Birmingham are now au- thorized to take the oath Of ofhce Just as do the justices of the peace. NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS. 1
 Sealed proposals will be re- ceived by the undersigned until