The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1912-10-19

stitutiOn recognizing and re-
modelling the States system of
assessment and taxation.
Section I. Be it resolved by the
General Assembly Of the State of
louisiana, tw0-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
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be withdrawn either as to enter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.
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 nev-
er on persons or ownership.
4. Except in case of foreign inva-
sion or domestic revolution, the Cen
eral Assembly shall not have power
to levy any ad yalorem 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 a
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 it's
own sources of revenue as herein
assigned.
2. Until otherwise provided by a
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 reve-
nue.:
LIST. The special taxes hereinafter
provided for.
End. All corporations, private per-
sons and unincorporated associations
that operate any railroad falling I'M
der the jurisdiction Of the Railroad
Commission Of Louisiana; street rail-
road; combined street railroad and
electric light and power business;
heating or refrigeration plant, (not
inclusive Of cold storage plant; tel
ephone line; telegraph line, wheth-
er wireless or otherwise; express
line, dining car, sleeping car, oil car,
r3frfgerating car, or cars for any
other purpose operating upon rail-
roads in this state; steamboat, mot
or boat, steamship, ferry, barge and
tug, or other water craft, where op-
Grated for hire, canal for transporta-
ton or irrigation, and pipe line for
oil or gas. When the electric light
and power business conducted in con-
junction with any street railroad can
be practically severed from the street
railroad business for purposes Of as
sessment then such severance shall
be made by the Tax Commission and
such electric light and power business
shall not be source of State reve-
nue..
9rd. All banks, State and Nation
al, including savings banks, trust
banks and trust companies, and all
private bankers, whether individuals
Or partnerships, save that the real
estate Of all banks and bankers shall
be locally assessed and taxed The
of the real estate OF
banks and bankers shall be equaliz-
ed annually BY the Tax Commission