The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1912-09-14

to the people Of Louisi-
ana an amendment to the Con-
stitution reorganizing and re-
modelling the States system Of
assessment and taxation.
Section 1. Be it resolved by the
General Assembly of the State of
louisiana, two-thirds of all the MAN.
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 its 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 e6tab-
lishment of industrial enterprises, or
a 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be withdrawn either as to enter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.
8. 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. ALI such classifications shall be
based on the characteristics of the
property itself or it's use, and new
er 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 tax
in excess of four per cent; but the
General Assembly shall not exceed
the rate of two and one-half per cent
except by vote of two-thirds of all
the members elected to each house
thereof.
Article II.
1. The sources of State and local
revenue shall be segregated and, ex
cept as hereinafter specified, or as
may be hereafter permitted by q
vote of two-thirds of all the members
elected to each House of the Gener
al Assembly, each taxing authority
shall be restricted in taxation to its
own sources of revenue as herein
assigned.
2. Until otherwise provided by {
vote Of tWo-thirds of all Of the mem
bers elected to each House of the
General Assembly, the following
shall be the sources of State reye,
nue.:
LIST. The special taxes hereinafter
provided for.
2nd. All corporations, private per
sons and unincorporated associations
that operate any railroad falling un
der the jurisdiction of the Railroad
Commission of Louisiana; street rail
road; combined street railroad an(
electric light and power business;
heating or refrigeration plant, (no
inclusive of cold storage plant; tel
ephone line; telegraph line, wheth
er wireless or otherwise; express
line, dining car, sleeping car, oil car
refrigerating car, or cars for any
other purpose operating upon rail
roads in this state; steamboat, mot
or boat, steamship, ferry, barge anG
tug, or other water craft, where op
Grated for hire, canal for transporta
ton or irrigation, and pipe line fol
oil or gas. When the electric light
and power business conducted in con
junction with any street railroad car
be practically severed from the stree
railroad business for purposes Of as
sessment then such severance shall
be made by the Tax Commission ant
such electric light and power business
shall not be a source Of State reve
nue..
3rd. All banks, State and Nation
al, including savings banks, trus
banks and trust companies, and al
private bankers, whether individuals
Or partnerships, save that the rea
estate of all banks and bankers shall
be locally assessed and taxed. Tit
assessments Of the real estate O
banks and bankers shall be equaliz
ed annually by the Tax Commission
tC the basis established and in 70