Tensas gazette., 1912-09-20
the TAX AMENDMENT.

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new plan the State will receive more
revenue while the parishes will pay
less toward the support of the State,
and that this was the result of the
new sources of revenue.
Among the new sources of reve-
nue. will be enumerated some of the
old sources, but sources that have
heretofore paid absurdly small taxes
in proportion to the amount or
value Of the property.
Take for instance the great sui
phur mines situated in the Parish
of Calcasieu; in 1911 the Union Sui
phur Company, paid taxes on an
assessment of so, 800, 10000, while
the net output of the minds was
only a few dollars under $780,
10000, or, in other words, the net
revenues were more than twice the
assessed value of the mines, while
under the new tax system, this rich
sulphur company will be required
to pay to the State 5 per cent of the
gross output, which in 1911 would
have amounted to about $780,.
OOO.00, which would have been
equivalent TO an assessment of about
s1S, 600, 10000.
Other new sources are: a tax on
the transfer of shares Of stock which
is estimated to produce at the lowest
calculation $40, 10000 per annum;
a small tax on the organization Of
corporations, estimated to produce
s75, 10000 per annum; a corpora
tion franchise tax, estimated to pro-
duce s245. 10000 per annum; a
special tax on automobils, estimat-
ed at 800. 10000 per annum. This
tax is for good roads, and is divid-
ed, one-half going to the State Good
Roads fund and the other half going
TO the Good Road fund of the par
ish or municipality in which same
is collected. A special tax on all
contracts for the future purchase OF
sale OF cotton. grain or other future
contracts, estimated to produce a
minimum of $50, ,0OO. 90 per annum
A special tax on the severance Of
natural resources, such as sulphur
salt, oil, gas, sand, gravel, shells,
and rock, from the soil; it is esti-
mated that this tax will produce
a minimum Of $3.50, 900 per annum,
but when one considers that the taz
on sulphur would in 1911 have pro.
duced about $3.50, 900, it will bt
seen that although the output o.
the sulphur mines is not so large
every year, that yet when we ado
to the sulphur the tax on salt, oil
gas, sand, gravel, shells and rock,
that this tax will amount to much
more than was estimated by the
Tax Commission.
A tax on fire and marine in.
surance, on industrial insurance
on life insurance, and on guar.
antee and bonding companies il
estimated to produce the sum O
$4,000 per annum, this estimat,
being made on the business done b,
these different companies in 1911
but as the business Of all such com
panies is increasing every year, thi
source Of revenue should and in al
probability will be much greater il
1914, when the proposed law goe
into effect. In addition to the abov,
! is proposed to adopt a genuin,
Progressive Inheritance Tax, which
is estimated viii yield not less thar
100000 per annum. this estimate
being made on the amount of tar
produced now by our present inher,
itance tax, which is not an inherit.
ance tax at all, but simply a meth.
cd OF collecting taxes on property
which has not paid its just proper,
tion Of taxes during the life of the
deceased.
The above are new sources Of rev.
enue. estimated to produce for the
General Fund not less than 81, ,440,
600 per annum, forwhile it is true
that some of the above sources oil
revenue are taxed or licensed under
the present law. the revenue amounts
TO but little.
The taxes on these new sources
OF revenue are as a rule very small.