The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1912-08-02
NEWS Of LOUISIANA
State Tax Commission COnsid-
erinq Means of Raising
State Revenue.
SULPHUR Is UNDERVALU ED
Evidence Introduced to Show That
Assessment ofsindustry Is Too
Small.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Baton Rouge.-The legislative tax
revision commission for Louisiana,
created by the legislatruee Of 1912, has
begun its labOrs. 1t was called to order
in. the senate chamber by Gov. l.. f.
Hall, who briefly presented the vital
purposes for which it had been called,
with % members present.
Edgar H. Farrar, Of New Orleans,
was elected chairman, and David
Blackshear, who served as secretary
of the Observation-Disclosures commission in
1906, was named as secretary over A.
B. Booth.
By vote of l. to 12 the commission
refused to move to New Orleans to
hold its sessions, but not until it had
at first tied on the question, with the
chairman already voting.
A general plan of tax revision for
Louisiana is being worked out
by members Of the commission, which
proposes to tax railroads, public serv-
ice corporations, insurance companies
and possibly banks, which, together
with franchises, will support the state
government; deficiencies will be made
up from the parishes, based on popu-
latiou. -
Twenty parishes under this plan
would be forced to put up little more
than at present: all other parishes
would save money, the parish of Or
leans saving abou' 100000 per year.
Information was unearthed in the
tax commission committee on new and
miscellaneous sources of taxation rela-
tive to the vast sulphur mine deposits
in Calcasieu parish a surprise when
will prabably lead to the state slap
ping tax on this mineral wealth that
will yield around $4,000 in state
revenues annually, instead of some
$4,000, which they are said to be pay
ing now.
Affidavits were produced from the
conservation commission and read be.
fore the committee which showed the
gross income from the Calcasieu sui
phur mines to be S5,5S2,430 and net
revenue of $5,211,044 per year. 1t is
now assessed at something like s.,
100000, although there has been con
tinual and perpetual war between the
police jury of Calcasieu and the state
board of equalization over the Unior
Sulphur Company's assessment.
The sworn statement showed tina
the sulphur company, had marketed
256,990 tons of sulphur last year.
81 cannot understand why the!
should not stand per cent state
tax" argued Chairman Robert B. But
Ter, of the committee.
Instead of being assessed at 50,
100000, they ought to be assessed TO
s5OOOO,OOO," insisted J. E. Clayton.
Senator Leon R. Smith figured it ou
that under the natural resources &C
a state revenue of approximately $26
900.
1T ought to be s156,0OO," insisted
Mr.. Butler, (which 3 per cent woul
yield
This rich discovery came up durin
the discussion on Favrot's resolution
to levy state tax on mineral re
sources of the state.
The whole matter went to a sui
committee, Messrs. We'll, Thomas an
Loomis, and they reported the fo
lowing proposed state tax on minera
resources of the state:
Sulphur, per cent; salt, per cent
oil and gas, IL per cent.
Exemptions of residences actual
occupied by the owners came up III
der the Johnson resolution, and tn
committee agreed on $4,000 exemptio
from taxation on every home as
stimulant to poor people to bull
homes.
"All these amendments must be al
proved by vote of the people," d.
clared J. E. Clayton, ."and I tell 20
this home exemption will do more
finding favor with the great mass {
the common people than anythin
else, I