The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-01-07
EuualizatiOn OF Assessments.


it is. has been suggested to citizens
of Shreveport and of Caddo Parish
| through the success exempllfied by
Baton Rouge, where the conditions
have been as they are i'll Shreve-
port and III other towns through
out the State.
The question is not based on the
increase of taxation nor the rate
which is already fixed, but on ap-
plying the rule Of equity in the as
sessment of realities for taxation;
and whatever be the inequalities,
too high or too low, should be ad-
justed fairly. We have contended
that what Baton Rouge has accom-
plished is possible for Shreveport.
In report OF recent date SUD
mitted to the State Board OF Llqui-
dation. the committee on town ano
CITY lots of the City of Baton Rouge
n. W. Riordan chairman, A. NJ. Mar
tin and J. X. Gaudet, states:
Your committee since the lncip-
iency of this board has advocated
and recommended the readjustment
of values in this class OF property.
and one of the resolutions found Ill
the earlier minutes Of this body Will
be found to urge and recommend the
action of the city and town counciis
in the direction of the evolution oil
some plan by which equitable val
ues could be made to apply to tins
class of property in the several par
ishes of this State. During the ses-
sion of 1911 this board was ap-
preached by the Police Jury OF Eas.
Baton Rouge with a plan for the
equalization of assessments on TINS
class of property, and on the peti-
ton of this police jury the board
caused The assessment sheets and
abstracts to provide for the separa-
tion of real estate and improve
menis thereon to facilitate the pro-
cess of assessment and equalization
by this board and the various ineer-
cssed political subdivisions in this
state. As stated in the first portion
Of this report, this plan has been
carried out by the parishes named
herein, and the members Of your
commietee desire TO call special at
| tention to the results obtained by
| the realization of the plan in the
Parish of East Baton Rouge. The
committee is advised that durin-
some twelve sessions held by a
committee representing the Police
Jury OF East Baton Rouge and the
City of Baton Rouge and the parish
assessor and his assistants, ther"
was devised a plan of assessment
IF city and suburban property tina
has proven highly satisfactory and
extremely remunerative to the tax
| ing agencies concerned. The COM
mittee by assessing the property II
the City of Baton Rouge On tn,
front foot and improvements sepa-
rated plan, has without the appre-
/ ciable increase of any individual as
| sessment, realized an assessment OF
/ this class of property for the yea.
/ 1912 of $4,69,64O8, as against the as
sessment of 1914, which was $685.
222, and showing an increase ovel
1911 of s730,4i8, or nearly three
quarters of million dollars Oh The
same amount of property.
Your committee takes occasion
to recommend that this plan D.
adopted in all the parishes OF tn
State wherever there exist cities
towns or villages possessing thl
class of property for purpose 0
!, taxation
I In opposition to the Baton Rous
| plan it has been argued that ther
:, is no law to warrant such a system
, of assessment, but the system is be
ing enforced to the entire satlsfac
ton of all concerned, although a
, the beginning the opponents wel
vigorous and active against it.
/ The Caucasian has been advise
that committee of the citizen
!, connected with the equalization {
d assessment movement will appea
before the Police Jury next Thurs
day and submit for favorable con
sideration a plan similar to tn;
:, which is now in operation in Bato
Rouge.
Is there any good reason why til
Baton Rouge plan of equalizatio
y should not be found for Shrev'
e rorts