The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1912-11-01

'''ih'll, wv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS nave We
been made regarding the plans for the
funeral. Mr. Sherman was born DC
tOber "a, 1855, and was Just passed 5,
years old when he died.
parishes the right to assess Le"sCua
property, lands and improvements Al
different level so that if they wish they
can lower or raise the taxes or these
different things as they please. This is
real home rule. Section II orders land,
and buildings, CT other improvements
to be assessed separately. Section L
does away with the assessment accord
ing to the map Of the parish. This plea
makes 1t impossible for The assessor tC
put a figure On Mr.. A. and then Wher
he comes to Mr.. K. with the same KIND
OF property worth the same amount, &c
forget Mr.. AS assessment and assess
Mr. X. for more or less. The parish
maps viii be printed with the owners
names. Tie assessments on their lands
buildings and personal property plainly
marked, and sold t0r. 5 Or ten cents each
This plan takes assessments cut OF
politics, out OF all fayOEitSm so lar as
ever man made laws Can doit. II
really does it if the people buy maps
and watch the assessments. That is
why some assessors oppose the reform
from beginning to end.
The question now is whether tax
lodging will cease. That tax lodging
through mistakes Or favoritism Of the
parish assessor will cease has been dis.
Cussed
The State Board Of Appraisers, with
one member from each congressional
district, has not assessed the railroads
at figures satisfactory to anybody but
the railroaeS, The State Board OF
Equalization, with the same kind OF
membership, has not been able TO equal
iZe assessments. This letter board was
tried as patchwork to fix up the present
rotten system. Such patchwork had
failed elsewhere and it failed in Louis.
lana. The new state assessors will be
the State Taxing Commission of three
members. See Article Five. They will
cost about the same or less than the
two boards mentioned which, with their
secretaries, draw $15,SO0 in salaries and
get mileage and other expenses. The
three are paid $4,000 a year each ana
must live in Baton Rouge and attend to
business.
If they raise the taxes Oh railroad,
the railroad cannot Shift the load back
to the people without rates. They can.
not raise rates to shift taxes without
the consent of the Railroad Commission
If they can get consent to raise rates to
shift taxes, they can get it without any
reason at all. The most corrupt politi.
clan in Louisiana would hardly dare let
a railroad shift It's taxes with the State
Taxing Commission looking on and the
people better able to understand the
situation because of the simplicity of
the reformed tax system.
The oil, sulphur, salt and other natur.
al resources cannot shift taxes to
Louisiana people because so little of
their output is used in the state. If
they raise their prices, it affects Louis.
lana so little that it cannot be calculated
See the rates in Section 9, Article 6.
They can be changed by the legislature
indicated. They are lowest on gravel
and gravel is the most used in Louisiana
Of the minerals mentioned.
The legislature will be authorized to
levy an inheritance tax at rates not to
exceed those in the amendment. 1t may
or it may not levy this tax, but if levied
it will be impossible to shift it, it must
be paid by the heirs. Widows get hall
the property known as community
another quarter known as
the marital fourth) and $4,000 more free
from taxes. The exemptions On money
that stays in the family are liberal. It
is not tax on the poor. Only under
the most extraordinary circumstances
could an estate worth less that $4,000
be subjected to this tax. 1t is small
tax on the very well to do and only a
fair tax, at the very highest possible
rates, on the very rich. See Section 7,
Article 3.
Taxes on transfers of stock in corpo.
rations, on the organization of corpora.
tons, on the corporations themselves,
On automobiles and speculations in
fFn,,n1IIpl A