The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-12
Mississippi Supreme Court
Cut Down Fees of State
Revenue Agent
SPECIAL SESSION TO
GIVE FARMERS AID
Governor Bilbo Asked to Call Legisla-
ture Together to Relieve Condi-
tiOns in Section Devastated
By Boil Weevil
BY Il. e. FRANZ


Jackson, Miss, November 11.-(Spe-
cial)--At their sitting this week the
supreme court clipped the wings of
| the state revenue agent very effect
lively in deciding against that official
in the case of revenue agent vs.. Reeves
& Co, Vicksburg cotton buyers, ct al.
Two or three years ago Revenue Agent
Johnston brought suit for the taxes
on millions of dollars worth of cotton
alleged to have escaped taxation for
term of years after being in the
hands of the cotton buyers. A great
hue and cry was raised all over the
state and it was made a big issue
in the state campaign a year ago, the
revenue agent coming in for no end
of adverse criticism for having, as it
was charged, tried to collect taxes on
agricultural products and thus rob-
hing the poor, downtrodden farmer"
They all 'felr' for that and when the
legislature assembled last winter what
is known as the Hemphill bill, taking
from the revenue agent the power to
collect back taxes on agricultural prod
ucts, was enacted into law. Mr.. John
ston was then ex-revenue agent and
he was prohibited from passing such
cases on to his predecessor for set
Element, the existing suits being out
lawed and thrown out of court in eff
feet by the new law. The lower court
dismissed the suits and the revenue
agent appealed with above results.
Speaking of the Hemphill law, the
supreme court says: ut does not abate
anG does not undertake to abate any
fixed liability Of any person, firm or
corporation for past due taxes. The
Legislature has the unquestioned right
at any time to prescribe the duties of
this officer, or to curtail his power.
Indeed it may abolish the office alto
gcther-the office of revenue agent
being a legislative and not a consti-
tutional office" Such back taxes may
be assessed by the county assessor.
PELLAGRA ON DECREASE
The state board of health has pub.
lished its morbidity report for the
month of September, showing That such
diseases as pellagra, tuberculosis, ty-
phoid and malaria have decreased very
materially during the past year. Dur
ing September, 1915, there were re-
ported 1881 cases of this disease, while
during September, 1916, there were but
ass cases. This good showing Is held
to be the result of experiments on 10
hite convicts in the Mississippi pen
itentiary conducted year or more
ago by representative of the Marine
hospital service. He found that the dis
ease was due to lack of proper food,
developed it in several of the subjects
and then cured them by nourishing
food All of the men recovered and
now the physicians of Mississippi are
certain they are on the right track
for preventing and curing pellagra.
WANTS SPECIAL SESSION
Oscar Johnston, representative from
Coahoma county in the legislature for
several years, and the leader of the
ant-Bilbo forces, has written Governor
Bilbo a letter suggesting short special
session for the relief of the farmers who
have fought a losing battle with the
boil weevil this and other years, and
who are now so poverty stricken that
they are invading the delta counties by
the hundreds in search of work that VIII
keep soul and body together AS a
measure of relief, he suggests that all
land taxes in counties that have suf-