The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1912-09-27
THE TAX AMENDMENT.
Second of a Series of Seven Articles
by Percy Saint Of the Franklin
Bar.

Under the segregation plan OF the
proposed Tax amendment, all the
parishes but three will be the gain
ers: but as the deficit of these parish
es is to be made good from the gen.
eral state fund by the Tax Commits
sion, it can be said that every sub
division of the state will be benefit
ted by the passage of the amendment.
In arriving at the benefits to the
different parishes from the segrega-
ton plan, the trainers Of the propos-
ed amendment evidently used the as
sessments and taxation of the years
1910 and 1911; using the different
years to reach the result for the diff
ferent parishes. However, that may
be, the result was an evident benefit
to the different parishes. For in
stance, it is shown that the parish of
st. Landry would be benefited to
the extent of Tin round numbers)
$4,000. Under the new scheme of
local self-government in the way of
taxation, st. Landry will have an ad
ditional amount of money for her
roads and schools, without imposing
any further burdens on the taxpayers,
or, she could reduce the assessments
if it was found that the additional
revenue was not needed.
In other words every parish lex
cept three), would gain to the extent
of 6 mills on the assessed value of
the taxable property segregated to
the taxing parish taxirg power. And
it is safe to say, that If any parish
in the state needed additional reven-
ue, an increased assessment would
not be so much objected to, when it
was known that the raise was for the
parish alone. and not for both par
ish and state.
Another feature of segregation
which ought to appeal to the tax pay
er is this: AS property naturally in
creases in value more in one par
ish than it would in another, or could
decrease in the same way, the local
power and authority to increase or
raise assessments as conditions may
require, will be a welcome boon to
the tax payer.
Let us take the parish of St. Mary
as another example. There is now
outstanding. certificates of indebted
ness for the Court House which are
being met promptly at each maturity
there Is a deep channe' Indebtedness
which will soon be paid, and the re
quirements of the parish government
will grow less each year: after all
or as any of these debts decrease or
are paid, the taxable resources o1
the parishes necessarily increase. Un
der the local self-government plar
which comes with segregation. st
Mary will be in a position to lowel
her assessment if the revenue is no
needed, or she can raise it withou
additional burdens, il the revenue II
needed for schools, roads or any 9th
er necessity without the consent o
the state and without giving tn.
state any benefit of any raise, or de
priving it of any reduction.
So, the satisfaction and convenience
Of self government feature of the Pre-
posed amendment. is worth q sligh
additional cost instead Of the great
est additional gain to be had. Thi
feature alone should recommend tn
passage Of the proposed amendmen
to the tax payer. Lack Of space PR
vents the giving in detail Of tn
4 many benefits to como from segrsss
}. ton. sAs s,. II " s@Ys