The Mena weekly star., 1911-01-19
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE
lContInued from Second pagel

the assessment were not attacked
by the railroads.
THE commission found twenty
short lines of railroad some of which
had been in operation seven. or
eight years, but which had never
been taxed There were also found
In the assessments of big systems
many gross inequalities. In the as
sessment for 1908 of the Frisco, Iron
Mountain and Rock Island Railroads
there were found 40 miles of what
was either first-class branch road or
main lines. valued, 34S miles at ST.
600, and So miles at $4,000 and 81,
600 per mile. This 410 miles of
road was raised by the commission,
some of it to s12,5o0, and some of
it to $17,5000 per mile.
Investigations made by the COM
mission in its supervisory capacity
have developed many gross irregu-
larities. According to its report, the
commission has found banks in some
counties assessed on basis of 10
per cent OF their capital stock, sur
plus and undivided profits; in other
counties on a basis of rs per cent.
The average assessed value of horses
has been found to range all the way
from $4,000 to $500 per head. TIL
property of many large corporations
has been found to be assessed as 10
as 20 per cent of it's value. For ex-
ample, the real and personal prop
erty of manufacturing corporation
worth s75O,00O was found in 1908
to be assessed at less than 100000
1.-The law creating the tax COM
mission did not give 1t the power
to disturb directly by itself raising
or reducing assessments of individu-
ais. II the commission found prop
erty grossly undervalued, or not on
the tax books, 1t could not correct
on the tax books. The only agen-
cies for getting property on the
tax books Except the proper
the assessment or place the property
ry assessed by the commission) F,
were the assessor and the board of
equalization. The commission has
found great difficulty in effec-
lively using the material 1t has
found. There was evidence on every
hand of tax-dodgers, but efficient
machinery for correcting conditions
had not been provided.
"As will be seen, however, the
commission succeeded, chiefly thru
moral. suasion' in getting much
property heretofore escaping taxa
ton, on the tax books. The total
assessment in the State in 1908 was
1927 900, 0O0;. in 1909, 1876, 100000
an increase of $4S,000,00O. There
will be an increase for 1910 of sew
eral millions of dollars over the as
sessment of 1909. The State school
tax collected on the assessment of
1909 amounts to 81 .061, zoo. against
ment DIN 1908 and the distribution
among h several counties
W as 5000 per capita on
h assessment of 9 8.
against $1.s9 per capita on the as
sessment of 1908. The Confeder-
ate pension fund was increased
from 1900 in 1908 to $500, 900
in 1909. The per capita distribu-
ton was raised from $4,000 per
$4,000 to $1,000 per $4,000 in
1909.
OLD CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS.
In conformity with the law, in
due time after assuming the du-
ties of my office, l appointed a
Board of Control for the Confed-
erat Home. This board has done
rs work well. The buildings have
been repaired and the rooms made
more comfortable. The home has
been very much improved. A ply
stefan has been placed in contin-
uous charge OF the hospital where
all necessary drugs and medicine
are kept on hand. The farm has
also been very much improved as
well as the service in every other
way.
Because of the decreasing num-
bers of old Confederates in the
State. the number in the Home Is
decreasing.
The Confederate pension fund tax
for the past year has produced more
money for the old Confederates
than they have ever had before.
But the system of distribution is
bad. The county boards meet but
once a year. There is not suffici-
emit time for them to make the nee
essary Investigations to determine
who should be pensioned among the
applicants. Men are drawing pen
sions, it is said, who were never
in the Confederate army. Having
been once put on the roll. some
continue to draw pensions after
they have become well-to-do.
The Arkansas Confederate Pen
sion Roll should be roll of honor