The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-08
Commissioner White Writes Letter to County Board
 of Fayette County
DECLINES TO TALK
 ON MARENGO LETTER
Contends That Boards Are Violating the Law in Refusing to Docket Cases-Recent Mass Meet
 ing in Fayette

In its effort to equalize the burden of finding out that warfare is not excluded to the nations across the sea. According to what is stated by individual members of the board, the commissioners courts Of two counties. Montgomery and Marengo, are in open defiance. while the people of Fayette, Mobile and other counties are displaying belligerent temperament.
 Henry P. White, associate member of tn board, while in Birmingham yesterday, declared that he was unable to forecast the end. He candidly admitted that his hands were full, but contended that he would continue to see that the law is carried out, that every man pays what the law requires him to pay. and that the burden which rests unfairly on the shoul- ders of some individuals is decreased.
 When board of revenue declines flat ly to docket cases,' said MT. White. that board refuses to act in compliance with law, and Is therefore subject to punish ment. When Marengo some weeks ago, rebelled, l urged the governor to man. damus that board with the idea of forcing 1t to act in accordance with law. No ac- tion in this regard was taken, however, and the fever spread. Montgomery re- belled. And the citizens of Fayette who assembled in mass meeting some weeks ago adopted a resolution in which for their action, the action of Marengo and Montgomery was cited as a precedent.
 Fayette Wrought Up
 Tn the Fayette county mass meeting considerable passion was engendered The courthouse was filled with enraged people. When the back tax commissioner of the county attempted to speak and explain, he was howled down, and some- one in an especially loud and excited voice threatened to be one of several to do him bodily harm. The commissioners court was apparently distressed between its de- sire to act in accordance with law and to appease, at the same time, the people. The court, therefore, announced to the people that all who had been summoned could return home. and that only those who were resummoned were expected to return for hearings.
 ''The state board has no desire to force the issue, and in the hope that matters will adjust themselves through better understanding, is proceeding with caution. The law provides that boards of revenue must docket cases. When they decline to do so, they are not only violating an expressed command of law, but are not ti tdtiIlS lucii ptOpitI 1dlTly. fOT tno people are entitled to hearing before the constituted authorities of their coun- ties. of course. in any county in which the board of revenue persists in it's de- termination not to act, the board will have to enter and do the work. In this way the people will not have the ad- vantage of submitting their claims to neighbors and to men familiar with local conditions"
 MT. White declined to comment on the letter written by J. B. Wilson, one of the commissioners of Marengo county, which was published in The Age-Herald Of yesterday morning. The letter was in de- fense of the action of the commissions CTS court in refusing to docket cases.
 White Writes Letter
 As evidence of the condition which ex- ists in various counties and of the hope of the tax commission of the state that after more perfect understanding mat ters will adjust themselves satisfactorily
 to everyone concerned. MT. White made public yesterday the following letter which he had written to members of the board of revenue of Fayette county:
 Tn view of the disturbed conditions in your county arising from additional as- sessments made by your county tax com and in view of your evident de- sire to comply fully with the law, 1 wish to make the following suggestions:
 Your court ought to rescind it's action taken the other day in response to reso- lutions adopted by a mass meeting and mo- tify through your county papers and in other ways all taxpayers who have here tofore been cited to appear before you on August 1T. I am convinced that your court had no authority to announce, as 1t did last Monday, that no taxpayer should return, unless recited. These tax cases had already been docketed by your court, and citations had already been issued to nothing left for you to do other than to try each case on it's merits. You have ab- solutely no authority now to recall the ci- tations which have already been issued nor to remove from the docket cases which have been put. there with your sanction.
 "The lot of the tax official is not al- ways an easy one, but if you simply per- form that part of your duty which Is a pleasant one and leave unperformed that part which is unpleasant, you have not fully lived up to the obligations of your office. No mass meeting nor other as- semblage of citizens relieve you of responsibility for the enforcement of the tax laws In a spirit of the utmost kind to see that the laws are enforced, I re- spectfully ask that you rescind your for mer action and pass upon each of the tax raises submitted by your county tax com missioner in the manner provided by law