The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-10
RAILROAD TALK|S
 REVIVED IN SELMA
Engineers Working Toward
 Selma From Bibb
DISCUSS FAIR OUTLOOK
Chamber of Commerce Will Consider Tuesday Question of Bringing Packing Plant to Selma-Cattle
 Raising in Dallas Pays

| Selma, June q.-fSpecial )-During the past week talk concerning railroad build ing into Selma has been revived. Two things are accountable for these rumors 1 During the week it has been reported here there Is a party of engineers in Blbb county mapping route for rail- road in the direction of Selma. By some ] it is thought the surveyors are working l for the road of the Raul Lumber com pany. Others are of the opinion they are in the employ of the Illinois Cen tral, which intends to build Into Pensa- cola.
 During the past week Messrs. Lamar l and associates of Selma who are promot- ing the building of the road from this 1 city up the Cahaba valley to the Br- mingham district held meeting. This meeting has also caused some talk re- garding the building of that road
 Fair Directors to Meet
 At a meeting of the board of directors l of the Central Alabama fair, which will be held In the rooms of the Selma Cham Der of Commerce Tuesday at noon it will be determined what kind of a fair will be held fin Selma during the coming fall months. The fair association Friday aft ernoon received from the state it's ap- propration of 5000 towards the fair which i was given last fall. About two weeks l ago the fair association devised plans for l the putting on of another exposition here this fall. The coming fair will be larger than any that has ever been held in this city and as the dates selected for 1t will | come before the fairs to be held either in Birmingham or Montgomery. 1t Is sure to attract to Selma a large crowd
 As to Packing Plant
 The regular monthly meeting of the Selma Chamber of Commerce will be held 1 in the rooms of the organization on Water street Tuesday night. Before the meeting there will be brought forth a {, number of matters of great importance l to the future welfare of the city. 1t l Is believed some decisive steps towards the formation of a company for the erec- tion of a packing plant will be taken 1 during the meeting.
 Cattle Raising Pays
 Cattle raising is a paying industry and 1 the indica tions are that within the next two or three years this section of the state will be one of the greatest cattle raising sections in the south. Through experts the government Is fast eradcating the cattle tick from Dallas county and 1t is expected the cattle quarantine will be raised during the coming fall.
 --~~>~-~~~~-~-~~~~~ | fend the weak and defenseless against the rapacity of the governor and the tax 1 ing authorities of the state. The $i0,000, l 900 increase proposed by the state tax comIhisson, and which was directed prin- cipally against the representatives of big business and corporate wealth, gave them no concern, but the most generous and philanthropic motives solely inspired their organization, HsE
 Carnegie may establish free libraries. and the philanthropy of Rockefeller may stay the rayages of the hookworni, but it remained for this committee and their associates to discover a newer and better form of charty-free taxes for the poor.
 Impose on Public Credulty
 Tt is really pitiable. however that men who boast of being the best citizens of Jefferson county will undertake to impose on the public credulity by so transparent a fected nearly all the interests of big busi- ter is that when the state tax commis- sion gave notice of IT raises, which af- fected nearly all the interests of big busi- ness and corporate wealth in Jefferson county, instead of resisting these raises on the ground that they were In excess of the 60 per cent required by law, they de- l termined to refuse any increases, however i just or legal and on the spacious plea that Jefferson county in the aggregate was paying more taxes than any other county | in the state.
 ITO accomplish their purposes. which was not to protect the public, but to cape the payment of the taxes which they justly owed, they organized meetings of protest and undertook to inhame the pub lie mind against all increases of every character.
 When the county tax commissioner an- nounced that a number of other citizens exclusive of the IF, would be cited they organized mass meeting and appoint ed a. committee to secure proxies and win l the general cooperation of every taxpayer whose property was underyalued in the assessment. One hundred and fifty citi- zens appeared before the board of revenue { and urged that body to prejudge all causes and to decide in advance of a hear 1 ing that no tax raises should be con I sidered. II made difference if the l county tax commissioner, in obedience to l the law, had ascertained that property had been assessed at an undervaluation, and had made an additional assessment the board of revenue was urged by this com mittee of citizens, in effect. to ignore their sworn duties and refuse to consider such l undervaluation or to make any increase
 Tn the report of The Age Herald of this mass meeting Is the following language: 1 "It is not a question of whether co per l cent of valuation here Is the basis for re- turns, but whether Jefferson county is not at this time paying more than can be reasonably asked of any one county
 Lays Bare Entire Conspiracy
 This frank statement lays bare the en- tire conspiracy. The representatives Of inter ests and the wealthy classes in Jeffer- son county are to be relieved of their just i obligations because that county In the az grcgate is paying more taxes than other counties In the state. But taxes in Ala bama are not levied on counties, but on | individuals.
 The whole controversy is very clearly stated in a letter just received from one of the most distinguished probate judges i in the state, who has held office for a long number of terms. and wno says: l ""There can be only one issue between the taxpayer and the state, regardless of | the county of his residence, and that IS the value of his property. No citizen