The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1912-10-12
Capt. Teal Favors the Proposed Tax
Amendment.
Colfax, La, Oct. 5, 1912.

Colfax, La, Oct. B, 1917.
Editor Colfdr Chronicle:
The only excuse have for appearing
in print at this particular time is the
fact that the people of this State are
being offered the best tax scheme that
they have had the opportunity to en-
brace since the territory has become a
State, and am afraid it is so little un-
derstood that they will reject it for that
very reason.
/ have carefully read and analysed it
from every view point, and the more !
think along that line,. the more | am
convinced it is good, and the less COM
plicated it seems, and the object of this
communication is to invite criticism
through the press. do not, as a rule,
like newspaper controversies. But / do
invite this because there is nothing fac
tional in it, and it cannot be made per-
sonal. Blanchard stood for it in his
platform, Sanders did likewise, so did
Michel and Hall and Aswell, so no one
can oppose it on that ground. The
scheme addresses itself to me especial
ly, because it is local.
The police jury of each parish takes
charge of all the property in Grant for
example, except the railroads, telegraph
and telephones, and bank stocks, and
fixes value for the purpose of assess
ing, and in order that such value shall
be equalized. The Assessor must To-
cate the property on the assessment
roll geographically, that is to say, you
must be next to your neighbor, even
though your name commences with "a
and his 81, $50 that you can see his
assessment as well as your own when
you go to pay your taxes, as well to as
sist the police jury when they examine
equalization. Again, the land is assess
ed separately from improvements to
further facilitate equalization. Now
this value put upon property can be
anything from rs to 100 per cent of its
actual cash value; just SO everybody is
assessed alike, and leach tax payer
when he can see his neighbor's assess
ment will look to that.
Now, suppose l6 mills on so per
cent cash value of the assessment roll
does not give you the desired revenue
for local improvements as well as cur
rent expenses, Il mean to build school
houses, pay teachers and build model
roads, ETC.. }, then the police jury lew
les on all the property of the parish,
including the railroads, bank stocks,
telegraph and telephone properties
(which are now known as segregated
property" at uniform, or equalized
assessment, sufficient millage to raise
the desired amount. Let US look at
Grant applying the new system The
total assessment roll of Grant parish
for 1911 is "a, 237, $500. Under the old
system you would get for the parish
$42, 3742gs for the State SIS. 424.88.
Under the new system the parish would
get on the 16 mills, (now taking out
railroads, telegraph and telephones, and
bank stocks), $57, 965. Is, you see gain
from the State of Sis, $780, 20. and the
State has pledged you the revenue
shall never be any less. make my
estimates at is mills because if the
Confederate Veteran tax carries it will
be l6 mills for all the future, ''or more. !"
/ say more because the institutions Of
the State must be cared for; and her
schools, asylums, etc., have grown fast
er than the values on the assessment
roll, and there is not money enough to
maintain them on the old basis of Is
mills and it must be increased.
Again, one of the beauties of the new
system is, you pay taxes to yourselves.
Not dollar of it is ever taken out of
the parish for any purpose. In other
'words, if you adopt the proposed scheme
you will never pay another dollar State
taxes as long as you live, yet you get
from the State your pro rata of school
funds, the same as before, as well as
: the good roads fund, and each are
pledged by the State to never be any
less than in 1911. Yet the State, ex-
pecting to raise five million dollars on
her segregated property, pledges you a
corresponding increase as is S., 300, 900
to about "a, 300, 900 States revenue in
1911. Under the old system. Grant got
for schools something more than 50, 500.
Under the new system she will get
something more than $4,000.
Another thing; with the States oys-