The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-13


 Pratt Consolidated Coal company being 1 cited for Monday. The Potter Ore com pany and the Republic Iron and Steel 1 company are slated for Tuesday, the Woodward Iron company and the Bir- mingham Coal and Iron company for June 19, the Alabama Steel and Ship building company and American Steel and Wire company (subsidiary organizations of the United States Steel corporation), and the Tennessee Coals Iron and Rail road company, raise amounts to nearly | 100000, June q.
 self as to cast aside its dignity and en- gage in a demagogic and ignoble effort to array one class against another. | In the matter of taxes the law knows no class and in this effort of | our people to prevent an unjust tax burden being placed upon them, the rich and the poor are engaged alike. The governor publicly admits that he has no personal knowledge of the value of the property raised by his commits sion. The commission, itself, does not claim to have made a personal inves- tigation, and yet he vigorously defends the accuracy of the appraisoments and bases his arguments as to undervalua- tions on their uninVestigated statement of property values. With nothing else to support him, convicted by the ad- missions of himself and his commission, he makes the bold and positive asser- ton that we are purjured tax dodgers and that this movement of serious protest was conceived and is controlled by business and corporate interests, for the purpose of robbing the schools and old soldiers of their only means of support. Dispassionate argument Is hardly a fitting answer to vagaries like these. He cites the assessments of the five members of the committee and charges that they have all, in their assessments undervalued their property As a matter of fact, | the assessments of the value of the ! property were not made by the five members of the committee, but like other citizens of the state they re- turned the list of their property to the county tax assessor, who as his duty and the law requires, placed the value on same. He reaches his conclusion as to undervaluations from estimates of value furnished by commission notwithstanding the value placed upon 1t by the county tax assessor), which disclaims having personally investi gated the value of the property. The commission could take the assessments
 
 the tax assessors books increase the values 100 per cent or 500 per cent, as they did with some of the TIT, and the governor, perhaps, from his stand point, could defend their action
 Inaccuracy Exposed
 In his list of five he has taken some pains to explain how the valuation on one assessment, carrying office build ings, was reached He lays down the rule that office buildings should be assessed on the basis of 30 cents per cubic foot, justifying his action by the statement that one state in the Union follows this practice As a mat ter of fact, office buildings range in cost from 20 cents to f5 cents per cubic foot, and 1t is but a natural question to ask did the governor know whether these buildings mentioned cost 20 cents or 45 cents? difference of 10 cents per cubic foot would make vast difference in the value of the building. Whatever the cost, 1t can only be reckoned at the time of erec- ton, for depreciation immediately be- gins and each year adds to it's quota. It is generally conceded that the prof itab1e life of modern office structures average about 20 years. By this, it is not meant solely that this limit is reached purely through physical de- 1 more serious elements, which bring about this result. A building erected 20 years ago. meeting today the com petition of newer and more modern structnre cannot draw and retain de- sirable tenants and as consequence must either be demolished or dedicated to other uses in which its revenue is largely decreased. In justice to the owner therefore, a depreciation of r,a pf no a Q in any fair assessment of it's value. building costing five years ago s500,- 900 cannot be considered worth to- day anything like that amount, and most of the buildings cited by him were erected more than five years ago. Is 1t not pertinent to ask him wherein lies the justice or right of an arbi- trary 30 cents per cubic foot valua- ton? The other assessments are based on the arbitrary figures of the com mission and their fallacy and inaccu- racy can easily be exposed by a de- tailed investigation into the facts.
 Governors S20,000 Palace
 In this conection, and in view of the fact that the governor, from his high pedestal, has seen fit to single out these examples, 1t is interesting to in- quire into his ideas Of correct and legal tax returns when they effect his own personal interests The heirs of Mrs. 0. M O'Neal. of whom the gov ernor is one, owned a large tract of land in Lauderdale county (his home) known as the Carroll land Recent ly it was sold for division and was sold for cash. The sale was under decree of chancery court. The gov ernor purchased it at and for the sum of s12,335. The tract is assessed for taxation at about 40 per cent it's forced cash value Tie governor owns "a palace" his home at the head of Court street in the cIty of Florence. It is given for taxation at $500. It is un- derstood that he says that he would not consider a proposition of less than s20. 900 for this residence. This building alone cost more than that. very much more, 1t is understood. This informa- ton comes from reliable source. The