The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-18

if he should make this proposed settle ment with the banks, 1t would be simp- ly to defy the commissioners court and subject the tax collector to loss from any error that might be determined later.
 So that is the status of the matter in the collectors office.
 In the commissioners court the his- tory of the. matter is about as follows:
 The banks first returned their prop erty for taxation at a certain value. The tax commissioner raised the re- turns and cited the banks to trial be- fore the county commissioners. Soon thereafter the state commission held session here and set aside all the assessments by the county authorities and fixed the value of the capital stock of banks at so per cent. Subsequently, the county commissioners made assess ments fixing the value at the actual market price on all capital stocks, sur plus and undivided profits, as the law directs This action by the commits sioners' court was recently set aside by the same body and next Monday named as the day for again fixing the value on such property.
 New Machinery Starts.
 Yesterday afternoon Mrs. S. F. Nor ris started the machinery in the new addition to the Union Foundry com pany's plant, and what is practically another industrial esta ablfshment was added to Anniston's roster of thriving plants, because the new addition dou bles the size of the former works.
 The enlarged plant of the Union Foundry company will give employ ment to $50 men, and General Schu- macher states that so far as he knows it is the largest soil pipe plant in the United States.
 The Union Foundry company, com posed largely of Milwaukee capitalists, has been operating in Anniston for about three years, during which time 1t is said it has not been idle on a single work day.
 All the equipment of the plant is of the most modern design and highest efficiency. Machinery is used in hand ling the material and product where ever possible, and with the newest ad- dition will turn out four times the for mer product, 1t is expected. Everything is systematized, and the plant Is arranged that the raw ma- terial which is brought in at the north end of the plant progresses continu ously through it until 1t emerges at the south end, finished and ready for shipment. Salmon Is Acquitted.
 A special to the Star from Spring Garden says John Salmon, who shot and instantly killed w. M. Russell at that place last Monday, was acquitted yesterday a plea of self-defense. Mrs. Lecroy, the woman who 1t Is said was the cause of the trouble has fled from the community and cannot be found.
 Postal Trial Begins.
 The case of the Postal Telegraph company against the city of Anniston for the recovery of the license taxes paid the city by the company under protest early this year, was called in the city court at 2:30 this afternoon. The city attorney, as first step, made a motion to transfer the case to the jury docket, but the court overruled the motion, and the case went to trial before Judge Coleman.
 The history of the case is that in the early part of the year the city levied a license tax against the telegraph companies much in excess of that as- sessed in former years, which the Pos tai company insisted was exorbitant. However, the taxes were paid under protest. and the suit In the city court Is to recover such amount as may be shown to be exorbitant and unjust.