The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-08
Chairman Weakley Makes the Bill Public-PrObably Puts Jitneys Out of Business
ESPECIALLY HARD
 ON BIG BUS LINES
 OUT TO NORWOOD
New Source of Revenue Is
 Change in Fees for Re cording Deeds - Other Provisions of the Bill

Does the new revenue bill prepared by the legislative recess committee on finance and taxation contain joker" as pal pablo as was that contained in section s6F of the last revenue bill?
 Section 91 of the new measure provides that the maximum license or privilege tax which a municipality may assess against a corporation will be one per centum of the gross receipts of the pre- eeding year. It further provides that the several municipalities in which a public utility corporation operates may collectively assess as a privilege tax against such corporations not more than one percentum of the gross receipts of the preceding year, and that the one per centum of gross receipts must be divided by the municipalities in proportion to population.
 The provision of the old revenue bill which created so much controversy was that each municipality may assess as a privilege tax against public utility cor porations per centnm of the gross re- ceipts, but that the amount of intangible taxation must be deducted from tho amount or privilege tax
 Study Effect in Birmingham
 The new bill does not require munich paities to deduct from privilege taxation intangible taxation, but it reduces the rate from two percentum to one percentum and specifics that whereas a public utility corporation serves two municipalities, or more, the several must divide the pro- dftet of tbp Of ceipts.
 The city commission of Birmingham will study this section today and determine the probable effect on it's revenue. The revenue bill, prepared by the legislative recess committee on finance and taxation was made public yesterday and Chair man John B. Weakley declared that his committee had worked faithfully on the bill and was satisfied that it would work well for the interest of the state. He was unable however, to estimate the amount of revenue which the bill would pro- duce.
 License for Jitneys
 Other interesting sections of the bill are those- requiring jitneys to pay H. cense to the state, abolishing collectors of automobile licenses throughout the state and putting that duty on the shoul- ders of the sheriffs of the respective coun- ties, changing the license year to con form to the fiscal year. that is, making it begin and end in october rather than January, demanding no license from a professional man until he has served at lds profession two years and elimina ting certain inequalities which are said here- tofore to have Existed.
 It Is considered probable that the anti jtney provisions of the revenue bill will destroy the jitney service. It is provided that each jitney owner shall pay an an nual license in the treasury of the state based on the seating capacity of his car and shall operate such car only along a stated route five-seated car will be required to pay s25; 10-seated ear, s60 The majority of automobiles used as iitneys have five seats, and a few will have to pay the fee demanded of seven seated vehicles. The provision regarding 10-seated cars however will apply almost solely to the bus line which operates through Norwood
 Automobiles will be taxed in the future in accordance with their horse power. The tax will range from S7.60 to S20. Au- tomoble licenses will be collected, here after, not by special agents who are paid 10 per cent of all moneys collected, but by the sheriffs. The sheriffs, paid in fees will be given 219 per cent of moneys collected sherffs paid salaries will be given no additional pay for their services. Chairman Weakley anticipates, however, that the board of revenue will allow the sheriff of Jefferson county a clerk whose duty it shall be to collect automobile H. censes in Jefferson, and whose pay shall be a sum equal to 215 per cent of licenses collected.
 New Source of Taxation
 The bill creates one new source of tax ation Deeds conveying property valued at s1O00 and less will in the future be filed and recorded by the probate courts in return for fee of 30 cents; deeds conveying property of greater value than sl000 will be filed and recorded for fee of $1
 Men following professions will be re- ouired to pay nominal fee into the treasury of the state fee ranging from s5 to $50, but no fee will be required until after the individual has followed his profession for a period of two years. This provision was made In the interest of the young man who has just started on his career.
 Cigarette and bottled drink licenses arc not materially changed, Inasmuch, how other carbonated drinks in bottles will it is thought probable that many little institutions will abandon the sale of such drinks.
 that the revenue bill is another evidence that his committee Is anxious to equallze the burden of taxation, relieve the shoul- ders which have borne too great a bur den in the past, and make those which s.xt.. .rt...