The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1912-08-24

eu laDle duuGXe0 10 anu llldue PAL III
this report.
The same committee, with the aid |
of the statistics found in the offices |
of the secretary of state, the board OF |
appraisers and the board OF equailza- |
tion and with the aid of the responses |
made by the assessors, recorders and |
clerks of court TO letters addressed
to them by the governor early in July,
before the commission was appointed,
has prepared a table showing how and
to what extent every parish III the
sstal e viii he Affected Ly tate revenue,
-, Isfifls
and will be annexed TO ard made part
OF this report
This commission recommends that
| these tables, and particularly the last
one, be ordered printed in large num-
bers by the general assembly and dis
tributed among the taxpayers ana
electors of the state. The only par
ishes affected in their revenue by this
segregation are jefferson, st. Bernard
| and Webster. and that only to an
aggregate of ahou- $27 600 a year. The
only city that may be affected is
Shreveport. and that to the amount OF
about $4,000 year.
All these calculations and reports
are based on the assessment statis-
! tics of 1911, which statistics were
| adopted as basis because they are
absolutely complete. 1t is confidently
| believed that both Shreveport and
| Webster parish by the year 1914 Will
not be affected by segregation, owing
| to the natural increase in the value OF
property left to them for local taxa
| ton. The plan makes full provision
! for the reimbursement by the state
until 1913 to all parishes and mu-
inequalities so affected.
| The parishes and self-taxing MUM.
cipalites are given the right to pro-
| vide for their own assessing and tax
| ing systems. In order to preserve the
claims of the existing assessors, VINO
have just gone into office, the exer-
else of the power of the parishes and
the CITY of New Orleans to have COM
plete control in the matter is post
poned until these officers terms eX-
pire.
The state reserves the right to re-
quire the fixing of uniform dates for
the closing of assessments and uni
form dates for taxes and licenses to
become due.
One of the separate amendments
submits to the people the question OF
i having a~rsfaranda1na -aaala-earisls-
4 as Io Telievefns rrft cfrres, towns and
| villages from all parish taxes and
licenses, subject 10 the obligation to
contribute fair share to certain gen
eral expenses of the parish. If this
amendment passes it may operate SO
as to give to all municipalities so re-
lieved a right now enjoyed by few,
and in that event will very much SIM
plify the manner of reimbursing such
municipalities SO relieved as are now
affected by the segregation Of sources
of revenue.
Flexibility is given to the whole sys-
TEN by giving the general assembly,
by tWo-thirds vote, the right to add
to or take from the sources of state
revenue, and the right to change GER
tain provisions, which it was deemed
unwise to cast into the rigid mould of
constitutional provision, unchange-
able except by constitutional amend
ment.
| TV
The method of collecting and wind
ing up all taxes and licenses under
the old system is provided, and the
present state officers, who constitute
the present assessing and collecting
. authorities OF the state are continued
in office and work is provided for
, them in the new system after January
| 1, 1914, until their terms expire.
, All special taxes for special pur-
poses, or to secure bonds and debts,
: are preserved intact, and the general
taxes for debt purposes must be REIN
bursed by each parish, inclusive of the
parish of Orleans, by preference out
of the proceeds of the levy to each
of them in reimbursement for the
property taken by the state as sources
of state revenue.
He recommends that the commits
sion or committee thereof, be con.
, tinued to aid an extra session of the
t legislature to be called in 1913 to
, enact the necessary operative laws.
He recommends that statement be
, prepared an distributed, showing how
. each parish and municipality will be
y affected by the segregation of sources
: of revenue.
1 Following are the estimates that
i the commission based its work in:
! The estimated state requirements
t for 1914, according to the last figures
I will be $5,3Oo,00O expenditure being:
8 General office, etc. ....$ 46S,00eO OC
e Judiciary department 2e1.ooo0t
. Institutions .... 100000
Public schools ... 1880, 10000
Debt fund .. 65o,O000(
Levee and engineers fund 4e0,o0O.o(
> Good roads ... $50 0,0000(
Confederate veterans 55O.o0oo(
a Special appropriations 2oo,o0o.ol
q Reimbursement to phs.
and municipalities. 49,. e5,ooo.O(
Total -. 5 $500, ,000.0(
Estherwood-Al. Pettejon, farm