The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1912-10-12

maximum amount to be fixed from
time to time by the General Assem-
bly,, an tented account of which
/ shall be rendered in an annual re-
! port.
5. The chairman of the. first Com
mission shall be named by jtlre ap-
| pointing Board and serve until the
expiration of his term of office, and
| thereafter the Commission shall Sc
| lect its own chairman.
6. The Commission and the individ'
ual members thereof shall perform
such duties in respect to assessment
and taxation as are herein prescrlb-
| ed, and such other and further du-
ties as the General Assembly may
from time to time prescribe.
Z. The General Assembly shall pro
vide said Commission with an ade-
quate clerical force.
s. The Commission shall have pow
er to adopt and enforce such reason
able rules, regulations and modes
| OF procedure, not inconsistent with
| law, as it may deem proper for the
discharge of its duties, and to hear
and determine complaints that may be
made against assessments, and other
| Of it's acts, required or authorized by
| law.
9. The Commission shall have pow
er to summon and compel the at
| tendance of witnesses, to swear wit
nesses, and to compel the production
of books and papers, to take testimo-
ny under commission, and to punish
| for contempt, as fully as is provided
by law for the district courts. The
General Assembly may provide 9TH
er penalties for violating the orders
of the Commission.
10. If any person, firm, association
or corporation shall be dissatisfied
with the assessment made or action
taken by the Commission, such party
may file a petition setting forth the
cause of objection to such assessment
Or action of the Commission or to
either or both in Court of compe-
tent jurisdiction, at the domlclle OF
the Commission, against said Com
mission as defendant. Either party
may appeal to the Supreme Court OF
the State without regard to the
amount involved; such appeals to be
returnable within ten days after the
date that the decision of the lower
Court becomes final All such cases,
both in the trial and appellate court,
shall be tried summarily and by pre-
ference over all other cases Such
cases may be tried in the court OF
the first instance either in chambers
or at term time.
II. No bond shall be required of
said Commission in any case in any
court, nor shall advance costs or Sc
cVrity for costs, be required of it.
-. 1t shall be the duty of the At
torney General, q ! the various dis
direction by the. Commission or the
Governor, to air the said Commission
in all legal ma tiers, and to prosecute
and defend al cases in accordance
with such requests and directions. A
failure on tie part of such law OFF,
GERS, when so requested or direct
ed to perform the duties here I'M
posed upon them, shall constitute mis-
feasance N office.
Article vi.
/. After January 1st, 1914, all as |
sessm ents for all State purposes, ex-
cept as hereinafter provided, shall
be completed on or before April 1st
iH each year, and the taxes shall be-
come due anu payable on the first
Monday in June of each year, and
shall become delinquent on the first
Monday in September in each year
Each parish and municipality shall
have the right to fix the date for
the completion Of its local assess
ments, and the payment of it's local
taxes and licenses general and spec
ial, until otherwise prescribed by the
General Assembly. Until otherwise
jects shall be operative. Levee dis
.rict taxes and forced contributions,
exclusive of produce taxes, shall be
assessed and become delinquent CO
Incidentally with parish taxes.
@ Public service corporations shall
be assessed on their physical proper
y and on their franchises separately,
1ut the General Assembly shall have
J0wer to direct the Tax Commission
"a hssess the property of such corro-
'atipns at valuation including both
physical property and franchises, to ,
Del determined by gross receipts, or
by dividends on stocks and interest
paid on bonded debt, or by any other
available method. +.
8. Incorporated banks shall be as |
'essed by assessing the stockholders
On the book value of the stock, i. e., ;
capital stock, surplus and undivided !
profits less the assessed value of real |
estate locally assessed and taxed, I
Ind less such further deductions Of
lot less than five per cent on their
oanS and discounts to . cover bad 6
iebts and unearned interest as the I
General Assembly may prescribe. /
which deduction shall be- made only {
rom their surplus and undivided pro- I
its; all taxes to be paid by the !
'anks and charged to the stockhold- I
rs. f
4. Individual bankers, banking firms I
md unincorporated banking associa- +
ions, domiciled in this State, shall
e assessed on the amount Of capital, g
urplus and undivided profits actual e
employed in their business, less O