The Natchitoches enterprise., 1912-10-17

Districts at the regular congressional
elections held in this State the first Tues
day after the first Monday In November
every two years; and at the said congress
sional election held just prior to the ex-
piration of their respective terms.
3. The Commission shall maintain an
office and have it's dOmicile at Baton
| Rouge, and the members shall reside IN
Baton Rouge and devote their time ex-
clusively to the discharge OF their du-
| ties
4. They shall each receive salary Of
Five Thousand Dollars per annum, De-
| ginning January /, 1914, and their traV-
| cling expenses, not exceeding a maximum
amount to be fixed from time to time by
| the General Assembly. an itemized ac-
count of which shall be rendered in an
annual report.
s. The chairman Of the first Commits
| sion shall be named by the appointing
| Board and serve until the expiration OF
! his term of office, and thereafter the
Commission shall select its own chair
man.
| 6. The Commission and the individual
| members thereof shall perform such du-
| ties in respect to assessment and taxa
| ton as are herein prescribed, and sdcn
| other and further duties as the General
Assembly may from time to time pre-
| scribe.
| 7. The General Assembly shall pro-
| vide said Commission with an adequate
| clerical force
| g. The Commission shall have power to
| adopt and enforce such reasonable rules,
! regulations and modes of procedure, not
| inconsistent with law, as 1t may deem
| proper for the discharge of it's duties, and
| to hear and determine complaints that
| may be made against assessments, ana
| other Of its acts required or authorized
| by law.
! Q. The Commission shall have power
| to summon and compel the attendance
| of witnesses, to swear witnesses. and to
| compel the production Of books and pa
| perS, to take testimony under commits
sion, and to punish for contempt, as fully
| as is provided by law for the district
| courts The General Assembly may pro-
| vide other penalties for violating the or
| ders 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 petit
| ton setting forth the cause Of objec-
| ton to such assessment or action of the
| Commission or to either or beth in
| court Of competent jurisdiction, at the
domicile of the Commission, against said
| Commission as defendant. Either party
may appeal to the Supreme Court Of the
State without regard to the amount in
| volved 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 ap-
| pellate court shall be tried summarily,
and by preference 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 security for
| costs, be required of It,
IL. 1t shall be the duty of the Attorney
| General and the various district attor-
| news, on proper request or direction by
| the Commission of the Governor, to aid
| the said Commission in all legal matters,
! and to prosecute and defend all cases in
| accordance with such requests and direc-
tions A failure on the part Of such law
officers. when so requested or directed to
perform the duties here imposed upon
| office.
Article vi.
| l. After January LIST, 1914, ali assess
ments for all state PURPOSES. except as
hereinafter provided, shall be completed
| on or before April 1st in each year, and
the taxes shall become due and 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 taxes and licenses, general
and special, until otherwise prescribed by
the General Assembly. Until otherwise
provided, existing laws on these subjects
shall be operative. Levee district taxes
and forced contributions. exclusive of
produce taxes shall be assessed and be-
come delinquent coincidentally with par
ish taxes.
2. Public service corporations shall be
assessed on their physical property and
on their franchises separately, but the
rect the Tax Commission to assess the
property of such corporations at valua-
ton including both physical property and
franchises, to be determined by gross re-
ceipts, or by dividends on stocks and in
terest paid on bonded debt, or by any
other available method.
g. Incorporated banks shall be assessed
y y. t-Es ii tfs ss'
surplus and undivided profits less the as
sessed value of real estate locally as
| sessed and taxed, and less such further
| deductions of not less than FIVE per cent
on their loans and discounts to sever bad
/ debts and unearned interest as the Cen
eral Assembly may prescribe, which de-
duction shall be made only from their
| surplus and undivided profits; all taxes
! to be paid by the banks and charged to
| the stockholders.
4. Individual bankers, banking firms
| and unincorporated banking associations,
domiciled in this State, shall be assessed
on the amount of capital. surplus and
undivided profits actually employed in
| their business, less the assessed value of
real estate locally assessed and taxed.
actually and exclusively used and en-
ployed in their business, and less such
further deductions not less than five per
cent On their loans and discounts to
cover bad debts and unearned interest as
the General Assembly may prescribe.
which deduction shall be made only from
their surplus and undivided profits.
5. Foreign banks and individual bank
ers, banking firms and unincorporated
| banking associations, domiciled out Of the
! State but doing business in this State,
shall be assessed on such proportion of
| their capital, surplus and undivided
profits as is actually employed in this
! State. less the assessed value of real es-
| tate locally assessed and taxed, actually
| and exclusively used and employed in
| their business in this State. and less
| such further deductions, not less than
| five per cent on their loans and dis
| counts. to cover bad debts and unearn-
/ ed interest as the General Assembly
may prescribe, which deductions shall
| be made only from their surplus and I'M
| divided profits.
G. Insurance, bonding and surety COM
| panies, and persons, firms and associa-
| tions engaged in the insurance bonding
and surety business, excluding however,
| fraternal insurance companies and asso-
/ Citations, shall be taxed on a percentage
of their gross premiums received upon
! their business done in this State. less
return premiums and reinsurance in COM
panies or associations authorized to do
| business in this State. The percentage
aforesaid shall not exceed three per cent
| and surety business, except life and
/ industrial insurance and shall not ex-
/ coed two per cent for life and Industrial
/ insurance The special taxes to support
the office of fire marshal and fire pre-
vention bureaus shall not be deducted
| from the premiums hereby authorized to
| be taxed. When by the laws Of any other
/ State orJcountry any taxes, fines, pen
aities, licenses, fees, deposits of money
/ or of securities, or other obligations or
| prohibitions are imposed on insurance,
! bonding or surety companies of this State
doing business in such other State or
| country, or upon their agents therein in
| excess of such taxes, penalties, fees, IL
| censes, deposits of money, or of securi-
| ties, or other obligations or prohibitions
| imposed upon such insurance, bonding
! or surety companies of such other State
| or country, so long as such laws continue
! in force the same obliga tons and prohi-
| billions of whatsoever kind may be i'm
| posed by the General Assembly of this
| State upon insurance, bonding or surety
! companies of such other State or country
| doing business in this State.
! T. Irrigation canals shall be taxed on
| percentage not to exceed two per cent