The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-14
TAX COMMITTEE
 IN ANN|STON Highest Assessed County in
 the State SEVERAL ON STAND Committee Returns to Birmingham Today-Calhoun County's Tax
 Records Looked
 
SEVERAL ON STAND

Anniston, April -(special)--After an all-day session in which they were given ample evidence to support the contention that Calhoun is the highest assessed county in the state. the legislative investi gating committee on finance and taxation returned to Birmingham tonight.
 Points stressed in the hearing in An- niston were that there should be a change In the law exempting personal property. which is the cause of loss by thousands to the state every year. Witnesses de- clared another point stressed was that there should be county boards of apprais- CTS, one man to be appointed by the state tax board, one by the county commission CTS and one elected by the voters. The committee were shown the industrial and and expressed themselves as surprised at the beauty and growth of Anniston
 First Witness
 w. P Acker, a prominent attorney, was the first witness examined, when the leg islative committee on finance and taxa tion resumed their hearing here Tuesday afternoon. The feature of his testimony was his indorsement of the California plan by which a separate assessment is made by states and counties the state depending for its revenue on corporations and licenses and the county on real and personal property. In Alabama this would require constitutional amendment. MT. Acker opposed the proposed bond issue. c. D. Martin, back tax commissioner. told of his work in this county. He said he raised his pieces of property last year, and that the average escapes in four years is between $1,0000oo and S1, 800 GOO, tnree-fourths of solvent credits having escaped as well as personal property in large measure, He stated that he thinks revenue from automobile license should remain in the county where it is collected and be applied to better roads.
 Roberts Testifies
 Following Mir. Martin, Scott Roberts. secretary of the Adelaide mills, went on record as opposing any exemptions. He favored a uniform basis of assessment for mills and indorsed the California plan for state assessment.
 w. A. Davis, general manager of the Anniston City Land company and other corporations, stated that he has to do with the taxes of 375,000 acres In 16 coun- ties for the past 30 years, and opposed radical change He thinks the 60 per cent basis of settlement good and that the sys- tenn is creditable in the main, there be- ing no need for radical change He stressed the necessity of personal inspec- ton as prerequisite to fair assessment of property and favored quadrennia as- sessments. The small taxpayers. he said furnish the principal escapes. Mir. Davis thinks the automobile law is very poorly enforced, stating that he saw seven cars without tags on his way from the capitol to his hotel in Montgomery on the last day of the legislature. He has revised
 the code by the suggestion of the commit tee and spoke at some length along lines of proposed amendments. A copy of the changes he has proposed was given the committee.
 s. l.. Crook was the last witness. He defended the insurance companies and spoke at length regarding assessment of personal property, following which the committee was driven over the city in au- | tomobiles and shown the sights. They agreed generally that Calhoun is assessed on a 50 per cent basis.