The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-12
PLEA MADE FOR LOWER TAXES Railroads Beg the Board
 For Reduction. BUSINESS DEPRESSION CITED iovernor Holds Out Small Hope to
 Them.
BUSINESS DEPRESSION CITED
Tax Asent Jenes cites Figures ts show That Rsiirosd Property Is
 Asse.sed Toe High.

.,facers and counsel of the Central of Georgia Railway and the Louis vile and Nashville railroad apppeared before the State Board Of Assessments yesterday morning and pleaded ern- phatically for reduction in the taxes to be paid by them to the state during the fiscal year beginning october |. 1908.
 what the result the prayers of these railroad lines will bring about it is impossible to foretell. On account of the necessity of an early adjourn uient of the Board to allow Governor Conner to catch an afternoon train for Geneva on a journey of the High School Commission, the members Of the Board have decided to postpone action following the line of interro- gation, however, which Gov. Conner, the presiding officer, pursued when the representatives of the roads un- derwent examination 1t Is safe to pre- dict but little If any deduction in tax valuations this year.
 Indeed, the Governor and other members of the Board of Assessments, expressed themselves In favor of adop- ting about the some level of assess ments as last year when they were raised something like S17,000, 900. This poured into the coffers of the State some s150,000 taxes ~tn round numbers.
 All members of the Board were pre- sent yesteray including the Governor. State Auditor, W. " Brandon. State Treasurer Walter D. Seed, Secretary of State Frank N Julian and Attorney General Alex. M. Garber. the latter being forced to withdraw toward the end of the hearing by pressure of bus mess In his offlce.
 Representing the interests of the Central of Georgia Railway were A. R. Lawson, vice president; F. T.. Smith, tax agent; c. H. Richter, assis- tant Secretary, and w. P. Crum, of and Nashville railroad representatives were District Attorney Geo. w Jones' Assistant District Attorney J, M, Eos. ter and Tax Agent J. B. Jones.
 The earnest plea of both these lines was based on the depression of busi- ness, the decreased earnings conse- quent thereupon and the slump in the actual market prices of their pro- perties.
 In answer to every argument of this nature members of the Board, and es- pecially the Governor, told those pre- sent that the people of Alabama should not be held responsible for the condf- tions now prevailing in the business world. They expressed the belief that the COuulliOHS being aunornal SnOutu not be considered as a ruling factor in fixing tax valuations.
 The point was urged by the Hoard members that there are going to be recorded but very few reductions in the tax assessments of private prop erty all over the State and that the aggregate valuations will be about the same as was last year. This was confirmed by Judge J. J. Mitchell, chairman of the State Tax Commits sion.
 Tax Agent J. B. Jones did not den1ur 50 strongly to this argument Of the Board but emphasized the belief of him. self and other railroad men as we'll as fair-minded citizens throughout the State that the basis adopted last year was itself too high. What he wanted was to strike a conservative level that will hold for years to come and will not be subject to fluctuations such as may be expected during times like the present. He frankly told the members that the discount allowed the railroads when the valuations were fixed last year was not near as much as that al- lowed the farm owner or the average property owner in all parts of Ala bama.
 Governor Conner insisted that the