The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-09-05

exempting from taxation the legal re-
serve of life insurance companies or
ganized under the laws. of this State
And each elector shall indicate as pro-
vided by the general election laws OF
the State. whether ne votes for or
against the proposed amendment.
THOMAS c. BARRETT.
Lieutenant Governor and President
of the Senate.
L. r.. THOMAS.
Speaker of the House of Represen-
tatives
Approved: August s4th. ! 1sn a,n,,:
Governor of the State of Louisiana.
ALVIN E. HEBERT.
Secretary of State.
House Bill No. 2 By Mr.. Roberts.
Joint resolution submitting to the peo-
ple of Louisiana an amendment to the
recognizing and remodeling
the States system Of assessment and tax
alton
eral Assembly of the State of Louisiana.
two thirds Of all the members elected
to each House concurring. That the fol-
lowing amendment to the Constitution of
the Vtate of Louisiana be and the same
is hereby submitted to the qualified cleo
tors of the State at the Congressional
election to be held on the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in the month Of
Article l.
1. The taxing power shall be exer-
cised by the State and by it's subdivis-
ions for public purposes only.
2. The taxing power shall never be
surrendered, suspended, given, commu-
ted or contracted away: but where par
ishes or municipal corporations shall
grant exemptions from parish or NUM-
cipal taxes for a period not to exceed ten
years from date of completion to en-
courage the establishment of industrial
enterprises, or similar exemption to i'm
migrants of the value added by them to
vacant property owned and occupied as a
homestead. such exemptions shall not be
withdrawn either as to enterprises es-
tablished or substantially begun in good
faith, or to immigrants who have actu-
ally acquired and improved or in good
faith begun to improve their homesteads,
since the granting of the exemption. The
General Assembly on behalf of the State,
and the governing authorities OF all sub
divisions of the State on behalf of such
subdivision, may defer for not more than
three years the collection of taxes in To-
calities subjected to overflow or other
public calamity.
8. The General Assembly shall have
power to classify all property for taxa
ton. and to adopt different rules ano
rates for different classes. but such rules
all subjects of the same class Throughout
the territorial limits of the authority
levying the tax. All such classifications
shall be based on the characteristics o.
the property itself or it's use, and never
on persons or ownership.
4. Except in case of foreign invasion
or domestic revolution, the General AS
sembly shall not have power to lev,
four per cent but the General Assembl,
shall not exceed the rate of two and one
half per cent except by a vote OF two
thirds of all the members elected to eacl
house thereof Article u.
1. The sources of State and local rev
enue shall be segregated and, except a.
hereinafter specified, or as may be here
of all the members elected to each Hous
of the General Assembly, each taxini
authority shall be restricted in taxation
to it's own sources of revenue as herei1
assigned.
2. Until otherwise provided by vot
of two-thirds of all the members electe'
to each House of the General Assembly
the following shall be the sources o
State revenue:
ist, The special taxes hereinafter pro
End. All corporations, private person
and unincorporated associations that op
diction Of the Railroad Commission o
louisiana: street railroad; combine
street railroad and electric light an
power business; heating or refrigeration
piant; telephone line: telegraph line
whether wireless or otherwise: expires
line, dining car, sleeping ear. oil car, re
| frisorating car. or cars for any other pur
State; steamboat, motor boat, steamship
ferry, barge, and tug, or other waite
| craft, where operated for hire, canal 70
TRANSFORMATION or irrigation, and pipe lin
for. oil or gas. When the eleetrlc ng gn
| junction with any street railroad can o
| practically severed from the street rail-
| road business for purposes of assessmer
| then such severance shall De maze {,
light and power business shaal not De
source of State revenue.
ard. All banks, State and Nationa
including savings banks, trust banks an
whether individuals or partnerships, say
that the real estate of all banks an
bankers shall be locally assessed an
taxed. The assessments OF the re-
estate of banks and bankers shall b
| eoualized annually by the Tax Commits
| sion to the basis established and in vogu
in each locality where such real esta'
4th. All insurance companies includ
| ing bonding and surety companies. FOL
| eiEn or domestic, and all persons an
partnerships engaged In insuring persoI
| or property, save that all the real esta'
and corporal property of such companie
!
i assessed and taxed -,
5th. All sugar refineries, rice mill
| cotton seed oil mills, cotton seed OIL RI
| fineries and refneries of petroleum ar
its products A sugar refinery Is heret
| defined to be a concern that buys and RI
\ fines raw sugar exclusively, or a concel
that buys and rehnes more raw sugs
than the aggregate of the sugar produce
| by it from cane grown and purchased {
it.
9Th. All mines of sulphur, salt or 9TH
uuarries, sand, gravel and shell pits
g. Only the operative property OF Sta
sources Of revenue shall be segregated
the State The General Assembly sha
define in a manner not inconsistent wit
any provisions Of this amendment, VIII
the operative property Of each sue
source Is. Real estate and the improv,
ments thereon forming part Of any raj
road terminal, depot or yard or war
house or shop, acquired after July
1872 even though It may form part
the operative property of any railroa
shall not be considered source OF Sta
revenue except by constitutional amen'
ment unless such property had bee
prior to said date. part Of q railroad to
minal, depot, yard. warehouse or shop.
| 4. All other property subject to tax
ton except as herein specified, or exec
as may hereafter be directed by vo
Of two-thirds Of all the members elect.
to each house of the General Assembl
shall be sources Of local taxation.
- Article ~.
The Gsner9l Assembly shall have pow
to levy for State purposes the foilowil
special taxes: