The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-01-03
TAXPAYERS WANT
MONEY REFUNDED
County Commissioners Will
Get Busy At Meeting
LIVELY TIMES ARE AHEAD
Hundreds of the City Poor Are Fed BY
Salvation Army-Annston Begins
the New Year Under Favor
able Conditions.

Admission, January ESPECIALLY 1.-The
county, commissioners court will likely
be called upon to get busy when it
meets next Monday night at issuing
orders to the tax collector to refund
40 per cent of the taxes paid for the
year 1908 by taxpayers other than
owners of bank stocks, who claim that
they have been Disseminated against
by the commissioners by an assess
ment of tn cir property for taxation at
100 per cent, while banks have been
assessed at only 60 per cent.
1t is said that these taxpayers are
coming down on the board of county
commissioners in earnestness and by
the hundreds to ask for adjustment of
this matter, and will put the thing as
strong as they can for what they be-
lieve and insist is fair treatment.
Their contention is that If they must
pay taxes on an assessment of prop
erty at a fair cash market value. that
the banks, which the law says shall
not escape, should not be allowed to
pay on so per cent only, then all other
taxpayers have the same right and
they are going to insist upon it.
So it seems the question has not been
completely disposed of, for 1t is stated
even further that the matter will be
carried by appeal into the state courts,
where it is believed the action of the
commissioners court in fixing the as
sessment against banks at so per cent
will be set aside as illegal.
At any rate, there promises to be
lively times inaugurated in the COM
missioners' court when it opens for
business in the new year, and the
fight, it is said, will be to a finish.
Tax Assessor Cowden persists in re-
fusing to accept assessments on so
per cent basis, and refers all complain
ants to the commissioners court. He
says he is acting under the law, and
will not swerve from what he considers
to be his duty.
Poor Are Remembered.
1t was a happy crowd that wendell
its Way homeward from the Salvation
Army hall last evening.
Every individual had in his possess
sion a gift and a new light shone upon
the countenances of all. The little
children were armed with toys and
toothsome nuts, fruits and cakes, and
older ones had gifts of more substan-
tial nature, so the new year was
happy, gladstone period.
over 800 of the poor of the city We're
remembered. Early in the evening the
crowds began to gather and when the
hall was thrown upon the expectant ones
entered. For nearly two hours there
was a steady stream of humanity
tramping up and down the stairway
leading to the hall
Favorable Outlook.
Admission began the new year under
favorable circumstances. The revenue
from the license tax will be about
equal to that of last year. When the
license sch edule was fixed by the city
council some decreases were made in
license in certain businesses and in
others increases followed. All bust
ness houses opened up as usual yes
terday morning, which shows that all
will continue for the year.
All the pool rooms of the city opened
up for business with the exception of
e. Block. on Fifteenth street, but in
day in the Peerless building. These
pool rooms, however, have not been
passed upon by the police committee,
but it is hardly probable that any will
be refused license all the applicants
being good law-abiding citizens.
Every industry in the city is in OPP
Grafton. All on full time with the ex-
ception of the car works, and it is said
it will be started up in full blast with
in the next few weeks
The prosp for a more prosperous
year than the one just closed are
bright.
Insurance for Farmers.
Mark Ramsey of Ohatchie wants the
farmers to organize a mutual fire in
surance company. The plan is fully
laid out in the following:
ITO the Farmers of Calhoun County
Did it ever occur to you that the farm
ers of this county can organize them
for the sole purpose of insuring the
dwellings, and barns of the members
only and by this means carry insur-
ance on their property at the lowest
possible cost? In fact, it will only cost
Just what fires occur with the small
cost added of attending to the business.
have known several such societies
that not only saved Its memb erS many
dollars in premiums, but was a source
of much social pleasure besides. In
nv opinion it would be best for each
member to pay in a small fee at its
organization to have a fund on hand
sufficient to pay for, say, one or two
losses; then when loss occurred the
adjuster would be sent to adjudicate
the loss, and If everything was regu-
lar and correct the loss would then be
paid and an assessment made on the
memb ers to raise such sum as had been
lost in order to replace the funds. The
adjuster must be a man of ability and
strictly honorable, as also the officers
of the society, and no salary be paid
except for actual time devoted to 1t.
and expenses incurred.
Now brother farmers, this organi-
zation can be effected and it will be
to the interest of every farm owner
who will take hold and help to put
the organization on foot I am going
to ask every farmer in Calhoun county
to write me a letter at once making
suggestions he thinks proper and stat
ing he will cooperate with the farm
ers of the county in putting this mat
ter on foot. 1 trust all the papers in
the county will copy this in order to
get the matter before the people. Ac-
cordine to the fires that have occurred
in this county in the past 1t should
not. and will not, cost over 25 per cent
of the premium the old line companies
will ask to insure our own buildings.
Every home owner should have his
home and barn Insured, and by this
method he can do so cheaply. For