The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1912-10-26

JOINT RESOLUTION
to the people of Louisi-
ana an amendment to the Con
stitution recognizing and re-
modelling the States system of
assessment and taxation.
Section l. Be it resolved by the
General Assembly OF the State of
two-thirds of all the mem
bers elected to each House concur
ring, That the following amendment
to the Constitution Of the State OF
Louisiana be and the same is hereby
submitted to the qualified electors
of the State at the Congressional
election to be held on the first Tues
day after the first Monday in the
month of November, in the year 1912,
to-wit:
Article |.
l. The taxing power shall be exer-
cised by the State and by it's sub
divisions for public purposes only.
2. The taxing power shall never be
surrendered, suspended, given. COM
muted or contracted away; but where
parishes or municipal corporations
shall grant exemptions from parish
or municipal taxes for a period not
to exceed ten years from date OF
completion to encourage the estab-
lishment Of industrial enterprises, or
similar exemption to Immigrants
of the value added by them to vacant
property owned and occupied as a
homestead, such exemptions shall not
be withdrawn either as to enter
prises established or substantially be-
gun in good faith, Or as to immigrants
who have actually acquired and I'M
proved or in good faith begun to i'm
prove their homesteads, since the
granting of the exemption. The Gen
eral Assembly on behalf Of the State,
and the governing authorities of all
subdivisions of the State on behalf
of such subdivision, may defer for
not more than three years the col
| lection of taxes in localities subject
ed to overflow or other public ca
lamity.
3. The General Assembly shall have
power to classify all property for tax
alton, and to adopt different rules
and rates for different classes, but
such rules and rates shall be equal
and uniform on 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 of the
property itself or its use, and new
err on persons or ownership.
4. Except in case of foreign inva
sion or domestic revolution, the Gen
eral Assembly shall not have power
to levy any ad valorem property tai
in excess of four per cent; but the
General Assembly shall not exceed
the rate of two and one-half per cent
except by a vote of twothirds of al
the members elected to each house
thereof
Article II.
l. The sources of State and lOca
revenue shall be segregated and, ex
cept as hereinafter specified, or az
may be hereafter permitted by ;
vote Of two-thirds of all the members
elected to each House Of the Gener
al Assembly, each taxing authorit!
shall be restricted in taxation to it!
own sources of revenue as herel1
assigned.
2. Until otherwise provided by +;
vote of two-thirds Of all Of the mem
, bers elected to each House of thu
General Assembly, the following
shall be the sources Of State reve
nue.:
1st. The special taxes hereinafte
provided for.
2nd. All corporations, private per
sons and unincorporated association
that operate any railroad falling I'm
der the Jurisdiction of the Railroad
Commission of Louisiana; street raj
road; combined street railroad an
electric light and power business
heating or refrigeration plant, (nc
| inclusive of cold storage plant; te
: ephone line; telegraph line whetf
er wireless or otherwise; expires
line, dining car, sleeping car, Oil ca
refrigerating car, or cars for an
other purpose operating upon raj
roads in this state; steamboat, mo
; or boat, steamship, ferry, barge an
? tug, or other water craft, where OIL
, Grated for hire, canal for transports
ticn or irrigation, and pipe line 70
oil or gas. When the electric llgn
and power business conducted in col
junction with any street railroad ca
: be practically severed from the stree
!. railroad business for purposes of a:
sessment then such severance sha
/ be made by the Tax Commission. an
e such electric light and power bushes
f shall not be a source Of State reV'
: nue..
3rd. All banks, State and Natiol
al. including savings banks, try;
r banks and trust companies, and 4
; private bankers, whether lndlvidYl
Tor partnerships, save that tne ~ e.,
- yssed and taxed. Tn
III 5aeasments Of the real estate {
IL banks and bankers shall be equaii
eH annually by the Tax COmmlSSlC