The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1912-10-12
no ALI. VOTERS

no ALL VOTERS:
The tax amendments nov hc.arc
the people Tor adoption % rrJcc-
ton, will, if adopted, mark on' OF
the greatest forward steps IN the
history 81 Louisiana. IL the i.rm
belief chat their defeat would prove
Il most serious cheek 70 the star. =
prosperity, and would continn. ~
effect the many anlus,,crs 81 Inc
present tan laws, Nc carnrht'N ~
Mite your cooperation ahn your
vote to secure their adoption.
As reasons .or your 80 dong, W.
submit the following
First. Under the plan proposed,
your lands, improvements ana per
sOnalty will pHy no taxes 70 the
state. The revenues Tor the state
will be derived chiefly from taxes
on railroads, banks, mines. inherit
ancc, aud some other subjects Sc
grcgatcd for that purpose.
Hence, all taxes to hc pad w
Won will 10 collected and spent To-
calty, under your supervision, COR
the maintenance of order and the
enhancement or the property. Of
yourself and your ncighhors,
Sccond.-It il shown ~ official
reports that some Parishes assess
property on basis more than
twice az great as do other Parish
cs; so that a dollar OF value in the
one pays more than twice rs great
tax to the State ~. does tho same
value in the other Parish, For en-
ample, a mule in one Parish il as
scsscd at 5000 while his twin
brother across the Parish line may
be assessed at $1,000 o. less. Put
in another form, il tia owner Of
the latter pays the State a six mill
tax, the owner OF the former really
pays twelve mills or more.
The same il equally true as *
your lands and other property.
Upder the proposed plan yo'
will pay nothing to the State ane
! the assessments in other Parish
es will not affect you.
Third. The taxes WhMh may II
imposed on your property will %
limited by the Constitution ant
cannot be raised beyond the ag
! grcgatc now permitted.
Fourth. AS ,cssmt nts are nov
made alphabetically, and there j
little opportunity to compare one
assessment with his ncighhor's
The new plan will arrange assess
ments geosraph ically; that is
properties adlyccnt on the gr0un'
will be adjacent on the rolls. Thes
rolls WIZ be published In pamphlet
for distribution, and inv iuallt'"
and errors will be readily correct
ed
Fifth.-At present all money. j
subject to taxation; and while tn
asses amcnt rolls show that yer
little money IL actually taxed, ~
attcmM to dr. 80 il unfair to ~
few who tist their money in Obedl
cncc to law. and besides, Undue.
constant nccalmcnt Of none
from tho nsscssOr as though
were coa.tyaband. The amfA&lmcnt
exempt MI monies from taxation
thus inviting il into the stat.
making il more plentiful, and tend
ing TO give our people lower rate
OF interest. The prevailing h'g
interest rates in Louisiana ~
EamonE the greatest drawbacks
the prosperity Of our farmers an
OF our industries.
Sixth.-At present nearly all %
equations are subject to state y
ccnsc taxes, which are 80 grade
as bear most heavily on the man
small capital and small carning'
Under the proposed plan, the Stat
, can levy no license taxes save Q
liluOr dealers and occupations re
,, luiring police regulation. Eve
.. the local bodies, as to other tina
licenses permitted to the State, AZ
!. so conditioned AZ TO license taxa
ton that these will not Ordinar,l
: be rcsortcd to.
Seventh. -Eovernor Hall, III hi
address at Alexandria, before tn
Tax Reform Conventions on Sept
!, u, called attention to the fact tina
: one after another Of the gubrrna
!. torial candidates had pledged til
!, people either a reduction OF Ia
!; rates or an equalization Of assess
1 mcnts, but upon entering upon tn
duties OF office IL was found practi
cally impossible to keep thcs
: promises. The necessities or tn
!. State, together. with uncontroll
: able conditions surrounding tn
: present system prevented the &C
: complishment Of any rcforr
: worthy of the name. In cOnsc
! luence, taxes have continued I
, grow more burdensOme where al
: n ady too heavy. He then ca!le'
, attention to the present effort t
reform the whole taxing system 0
the State to tighten this burden
concluding with the statement:
"The State will need, in 1911, tn,
sum of S5,OOO,OOO in order to NEE
its running expenses and the de-
mands Of appropriation bills. Tn,
present system and the present
rate Of taxation, on the present as
sessment cannot yield a State rev.
enue above X4,OOO,OOO What art