Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-07-24

GEN. W. 5. FAULKNER
party In arrears In addition to the
amount found TO be due and Il is also
provided that a penalty Of IS per cent
Is TO be collected from property owners
whose property is reassessed. Out oil
these penalties collected the revenue
agent was secured a salary OF $500 per
Annum, and then II was provided that
ell their necessary expenses were to be
paid; and then IL was provided that they
have the Eight>to employ attorneys and
their fees we're to be paid out Of the
penalties collected.
Ny fellow citizens, want to show
you = system that was 30 broad and
faulty and susceptible of wrong, even
In its inception, that when Governor
Patterson made his first race for Gov
srnOr OF Tennessee, he charged that II
licensed man to rob the State and the
people of the State. l want to show
you. strange as 1t may SEEM that in
stead of this law being abridged, It has
been brOadened; and its opportunities for
wrong increased. In 1909 there was
passed by the legislature what may be
known as the Compromise Act This
act gives to these revenue agents,
through the Comptroller, the right TO
compromise all claims for taxes or PRIV
ileges due to the State and this COM
promise of the States claims may be
made by them even though q suit iS
pending and a judgment is all but rem
dsred against q solvent debtor.
In other words, the assets Of the State
are to be surrendered BY whatever trads
this officer sees tit to make. He may
settle the claims of the State Of Ten
nessee for so per cent, rs per cent, OF
even per cent on the dollar II he see'
ht and proper to do so. The workings
Of the revenue agent and their attor
neys under this law is now an open -
'cret. Large claims alleged to be due Il
the State have been compromised fol
small amounts and thousands OF dolIsrI
that should have gone to the treasury
10 defray the running expenses OF thi
State have been pocketed by back tai
agents and back tax attorneys.
| do not come as an agent OF bank
and corporations. make no appeal to
them. They should be made to pa!
their just proportions Of taxes. II IN
Tennessee Coal and Iron Company owe
hundreds of thousands Of dollars to IN
State of Tennessee, then the State Q
Tennessee should have realized every do
lar due her. even II 1t meant the d'
partuTe of the Tennessee Coal and Iro
Company from the State, II any COL
cessions are to be made, let them B
made 20 the States citizens, those VIII
have grown up with her and made be
what she is. You say you are not II
tsrested in this mstter. answer 20
lust so much must be collected in taxf
to pay the running expenses of the Stat
To the extent that the States claim
from corporations are collected, Just
that extent will the taxes levied on Il
farms of this State be lessened; and
the extent that the States claims again
banks and other corporations are COZ
: promised or surrendered or put into Il
pockets of revenue agents and back ta
attorneys, just to that extent viii Il
Z taxes levied on the farms be increase
You may say that you have no pa
tieular interest in the application of tn
. system. Let me remind you, let me
e mind every property holder, every own
a of . farm In Tennessee, that the pow
n IL Rjyeu under this law to these reven
agents 10 double the assessment OF eve
!. farm In Tennessee, 70 do this for thr
!. years back and TO add TO the whole
. penalty OF Is per cent TO be collect
from that owner ! dare say there
not a farm In Tennessee that is assess
as high as so per cent Of its value. II
condition prevailing all over the Sta
: Il would NOT be fair to pick out 0
10 county and increase its assessment on
le But under thls system, whenever
IT Esyenus agent desires, any one couH
n or any one farm is at his mercy,
In view Of this great power, conferl
re to back tax assess all the pr
s. erty of the State, to collect a
ot even to compromise the States claiI
Of the Legislature has demanded of tn
,y officers the publication Of "detail'
i'd statement of their transaction. This
n. tailed" statement Of all collections,
- account Of what collected, from whC
If where and when, and the detailed"
N. count OF their expenses reserved fr
=. the fund is to be published by the Coz
- troller in his biennial report,
- l hold before you that report. / t
" TO that which appears to be the o
is' pretense of compliance with this l
60 The report of the revenue agent Of v
hg Tennessee shows he has been entrus
to with the collections of hundreds of tf
OF sands Of dollars. Out OF a whole p
an of items-collsCtions OF $4,000
ESQ, ,OOO-but three are made 10 indie
,sr from whom they came If this rel
he wSs submitted IN dstsil - the law
No.t!roaS ~ nara (