New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1913-04-05
TEXAS AGAIN TO THE FORE.

sion form N government. Within
the last two. she has cclipsed al
former records by making in tn,
| City Of Houston the neareS
pratical application of the singh
tax system in all the Unite,
States Of America. While other
We're thinking, talking. and agl
tatIng the practicability of tn.
thing, she has done it. and done i
SO quietly and unostentatiously
that ii has been only few month.
ago, since the news leaked out
The truth is, Houston slipped NJ
on the matter, did it inadvertent
ny, or she might yet be ploddin-
along III the same old rut that
New Iberia is in.
The leap in to the light came
about In this wise.
Some Years since, a local resi-
dent there PaStoriza, by name
took Il gamble in real estate that
Melted him enough to Job along
comfortably upon for the rest OF
his natural life. eff he had been
plol's like the English dukes, or
Mr.. Baer, he might have decided
that the Almighty in his wisdom
had committed the guardianship
of that real estate to him with the
Increased increment as a perquiS-
lite for holding the job! But,
Pastoriza isn't pious, SO that
dldn I occur to him. All his one
track Texas mind could see was
that he had absorbed public prop
crty as IA private rake-of1 the
land-valneS created by the public
- he was social parasite ana
thief.
Rrt did that worry him? Not
a mlnute-you don't know Pas
torlza. He owned up with Il
"hcerIulneSs that would surpriS2
yor. and promptly went ON the
Warpath after more. Like JOS
eph Fels, Congressman Kent, AMI
other rood single takers. he said
TO himself. "Here's richness;'
rcinvested in land, and stung the
public again and again. While
thus profiting by the enterprise
and industry of others he enter
tanned himself by going up and
industry of others he entertained
himself gy going up and down
the state of Texas with his
vest, telling the public what
-" suckers they were to let him
do it.
"After a while the beauty and
chivalrN of Houston cot tired of
beng tWitted on facts by Pastor
liza, and decided it would be a
good joke to put him where he ;
could pract ice what he preached.
They thought it would hold him
for while if they confronted his
theory with the iron clad condi-
tons of the Texas Constitution.
SO when Houston needed tax |
commissioner a year or so ago,
they played their joker by offer
ing the job to PastOriza, expect |
ing him to take the small end OF !
the put up, or shut up" alterna-
tive. But 1t didn't turn out
that way
First he instituted scien-
tiiic system of making valuations,
in place Of the hdp-hazard guess
work In vogue Then. whereas
land improvements and personal
had previously all been
assessed at perhaps sixty per
cent, or less of their value. he
assessed land at its full value
at twenty-five per
cent OF the estimated cost of re-
and, finally, he said
to the citizens, CHOW don t make
any return Of your personal prop
'rty- furniture, watches, money,
stocks, bonds, mortgages. | don t
want any Of it on the roll. For
ret it. "
"The beauty and chivalry
tasped, but stood pat, waiting to !
lear that Pastoriza, having bank
'upted the town was in the in
sane asylum! But, behold! he
shows the biggest assessment roll
If any city in the state $780,
'90.0o0-and a rate cut from
40 to $l.30 The city has plen-
y of money, the newspapers are
rowing, everybody who used to
'wear at Pastoriza now swears by
lin, and other cities like Beau
mont, Galveston, Austin and
Waco are enquiring the "why
md the wherefore. -
AT an election held in the
'lty OF Houston a few weeks since,
astoria was reelected by 1900
majority on the issue of endors-
ng the policy he has pursued dur
NC his administration. This pol
CIV is to make as near an approach
IS possible to putting local single
ak in operation in Houston. All
ocal licenses were abolished
PERSONAL property was not as.
essed for taxation at all. !"
The effect of such policy in
iouston has been so satisfactory
hat Galveston is taking steps to
ollow suit. There is a healthy
lvalry in those Texas towns we
re told, and it would not be
natter of surprise if the mnova-
ion begun in Houston should
pread over the State as rapidly
S did the commission form OF
overnment.
-Theophrastus.
Coughs and Consumption.
('OupbS and oolJc ,rl, a.,