The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1912-10-04
TAX AMENDMENT
Third oil a Series of Seven Articles by
Percy Saint CT the Franklin Bar.

antees to the people more than any
plan of taxation ever offered. The
schools, old soldiers and good roads,
the public matters which come closer
to the people than any other are ab-
olutely provided for. The amendment
provides:
For the general public chool fund
not less than one-fifth of the gross
revenues of the state from all sources
provided that such apportionment
shall never be less than $~1,O3O,OOO."
There is no question before the
tax payer which interests him o
than the education of his children;
and with the minimum of n million
and thirty thousand dollars guaran-
teed to him under the proposed
amendment, together with the local
power given to each subdivision to
increase local amounts as much as II
necessary, the school system of the
future is safe. This provision / n the
proposed amendment is not made to
popularize it, but is made after a care
full study of conditions in this State,
and after finding out from the actual
facts and figures what the general
State fund could do for education.
The old soldier fund is guaranteed
already by previous amendments to
the constitution, but the proposed tax
amendment assures a safe and eqult-
able plan for securing the amount by
the special tax, but relieves I local
subdivisions of any further burdens
in raising the additional amount.
For the good roads fund, the new
plan will guarantee a minimum OF
$780, 900 annually to that fund, plus
one half the automobile tax of $780,
600. making the minimum $500, 900,
and as in other matters, guarantees a
sure and equitable plan of securing
the money. without any increase OF
the tay burden.
So, for general State purposes,
which as a rule. do not particularly
interest the average citizen, the new
plan of taxation and assessment IS
the very best to be obtained. For In
stance, the State debt which will be
a tremendous burden to futrre gener-
ations possibly, and assuredly to
manv future State administrations,
the new plan affords the only chance
without levying additional taxes. The
amendment provides:
For the public debt fund not less
than 1925, 900, or more than $65O,OOO
if the public debt amendment submit
ted to the people at the same time
this amendment is submitted, IS
adopted"
AS was stated in a previous article,
some plan had to be worked out
whereby the State debt could be
paid; it had to be done by tax ex-
perts and financiers, and as a result
Of deep study, careful analysis and
expert knowledge, the present plan
was adopted by the Commission, and
unless some better plan a be sug-
gested this one should be adopted
solely upon the advice and recon.
mendation of these %financiers and Ok
perts, il for no other reason.
However intricate the State debt
may be, the tax payer should e n
whatever assistance he may have at
hand to help solve it, and the only
helm now available is the adoption OF
the plan offered by experts selected
for that purpose. Mississippi repudi-
ated her State debt at a time when
no expert could have been of assist
ance: but with the Incompatible re-
sources of Louisiana, it does seem
that all that is necessary is some
safe and just plan for collecting the
taxes necessary for the meeting OF all
obligations as they mature; and it is
certain that any plan adopted would
be an improvement on the present
Man which seems to be wholly made
quate.
The present Tax Commission q
rendered a patriotic service to the
people OF Louisiana which should '
er be forgotten.