The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-07-27
MOVING FOR A REFORMED SYSTEM
OF TAXATION.

| passed. NY Tue general assembly
| this state during the session of 191
was Act No. 10, creating a tax ant
assessment commission, to propos
amendments to the constitution. TIL
measure provides for commission o
thirty-tWo members-sixteen from tn
house of representatives appointed b.
the speaker, eight state senators ap
pointed by the lieutenant governor
six members from the state at large
appointed by the governor, with the
speaker and lieutenant governor ex
officio-Which is to sit at Bato1
| Rouge for twenty days, commencing
July %, 1912, and recommend such
changes In the present methods Of
assessment and taxation as may be
deemed proper and advantageous. The
conclusions Of the commission are
to be submitted to the general as
sembly, at an extra session to be
called by the governor for consider.
alton of the commissions report and
the particular subjects to which it
appertains.
The general purpose underlying
this movement is the reformation AND
revolutionizing of the antiquated,
cumbersome, expensive and inequi-
table methods in vogue in Louisiana
for assessing taxable property and
raising necessary revenues for sup
porting the state, parochial and munic
ipal governments. During Gov. New
ton C. Blanchard's administration as
the states chief executive, he ap-
pointed a tax commission by author
ity of Act No. 191 of 1906 "for the
purpose of investigating the systems
Of assessment and taxation and their
execution in the state of Louisiana
and the other states Of the Union"
and this body, composed of fifteen
well-knoWn citizens representing the
different sections of the state, sub
mitted in May, 1908, a carefully pre-
pared report recommending a radical
change in the prevalent assessment
and tax system Of Louisiana.
This matter, withal vitality import
ant and meritorious, was entirely ig-
nored during the four years of Gov.
Sanders administration, and it is to
the credit of Gov. Hall and his ad-
visors that the project has been again
brought to the fore and given an inn
petus that promises to carry it to a
successful conclusion.
The central and basic idea Of the 4
changes recommended by the Blan-
chard commission is the complete
separation of state from local taxa
ton as to sources of revenue, thus
doing away with the incentive to de-
press assessments in the various
parishes with a view of lessening the
burden of state taxation. If only To-
cal taxes are levied upon real and
PERSONAL property, as proposed, it
would not matter to the taxpayers of
Ascension, for instance, what the
'ates of assessment were in Assump-
ion, Iberville or St. James. nor would
hose parishes care what rates pre-
Vailed in Ascension, as each parish
would regulate the rates to suit its
)Wn needs and conditions. The
states levies would be upon franchi- |
'es, corporations, public utilities, in
lerltances and other things than real |
estate and personal holdings. In |
,rief, the things subject to state tax
Ltlon would be exempt from paro-
:hial and municipal taxation, and vice
'ersa, and the prime cause of the |
inequalities and injustices of the
Existing system would be evaded and I
emoved.
The personnel of the commission
low in session at the state capital is
S follows:
Governors appointees-Edgar H.
'arrar, DR.. Morton A. Aldrich, New
orleans; NJ. H. Carver, Natchitoches;
Justice Q. Q. Proyosty, Pointe Cou-
zee; Q. B. Steele, Baton Rouge.
Lieut.. Gov. T. H. Barrel and Speak
L L. e. Thomas.
Senators Joseph Yoegt1e, H. L.
'ayrot, New Orleans Walter J.
'urke, Iberia; Leon R. Smith. Caddo;
!. II. Clinton, Tensas; DR.. A. F. Bar
ow, West Feliciana; John .. Shat
or, Terrebonne; Bertrand We'll, Rap
les.
Representatives Robert Roberts,
Webster; Robert B. Butler, Terre-
onne; Jos. E. Generelly, Charles
'yfne, Martin Manion and J. R.
'oomis, Orleans; sigur Martin, ST.
ames; R. ]. Montague, Vermilion;
! Q. Liable, st. Martin; F. w. 4