New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1916-09-30

with your permission do this.
Briefly it provides for the appointment
by the Governor of three members at
salary of five thousand dollars eaon
hey are to give bond to be paid 70
by the Board. They are to appoint
81 re arv at salary of twenty five hun
dred dollars per annum, who furnishes
bond at the expense of the Board Tn
Board has further authority to emplc,
clerks, inspectors, investigators and ex.
perts. to perform the duties required o
In addition to the salary of the Boare
and ITS Secretary, which aggregates
Seventeen Thousand Five Hundred Dol
lars, twenty five thousand dollars is an
proprlated for the use of said Board 70,
the year 1917 This doubtless to pay the
parasites IN the way of clerks, experts
etc. who feed on the body polite always.
Forty-two thousand five hundred dol.
lars for its first years work; thrtv-two
thousand five hundred dollars for its
second years work. Imagine the hencn-
men and camp followers. who will get 70
the pie counter Under this arrangement.
More are provided for, as will later on be
shown.
Row as to the autocratic powers Of
the Board, owing no allegiance to any one
other than the hand that feeds, we find
that they shall assess our property and
not the Assessor. This latter officer is
to list the property and place his esti-
mate thereon, for submission to the
Board. 1t is empowered land it is to do
this it is appointed) to increase the As
SCISSORS estimate, provided their estimate
does not exceed the actual cash value Of
the property. The taxpayer should be
thankful for this much His property Is
not going to be assessed by the Board
beyond its actual cash value. This for
State purposes. The Parish and munich
pal authorities cannot fall below twenty
five per cent of the actual cash valuation,
as fixed by the Board for State purposes.
Another knock out blow against the tax
payer. He is the mich cow ALWAYS.
whereon the office holders, PARISHES, ex-
perts, investigators live. To illustrate:
A taxpayers property is assessed for
State purposes twenty five hundred dol
lars. The parish and municipal authorities |
cannot assess it for less than eighteen
hundred and seventy FIVE dollars. Now, !,
where does the taxpayer obtain any ben
fit? The State assesses him six mills |
On the dollar; the parish and municipal |
corporation ten. Paying the parish and
towns nearly twice as much as he does
he State, where oh where, does he
:ome in.
You reside in a town or City. You
Day State tax, 4 parish tax, munic-
pal tax. You pay besides, local assess
nents in aid of public schools, good roads;
water works. electric lights, sewerage,
'idewalks, etc, which makes it prohibit
i've to own property in many of our
owns. In this City, the property is as
essed at about fifty per cent its valua-
ion. And it is a task for the ordinary
axpayer to pay his taxes annually. In
he parish, the taxpayer cannot pay any
more And yet, this Board proposes to
Ak his property at its actual cash value
o compel the parishes and municipalities
o assess this property At not less than
twenty-five rer cent the value fixed by
Board, in other words, to do with our
armers what the monarchies Of Europe I
10, place upon his shoulders, not two
oldiers. but two pap suckers, ;r~r-+:~--
ors or experts, whereby to additionally
ppress him.
The purpose Of this legislation is to
btain more money from the taxpayers
{ this State. Why not be candid and
Omit this. Why harp upon the word
You have worn & thread
are. All this talk about equalization is
tait to catch suckers.
If the taxpayers are informed of the
ne natu-" CT this stalking horse. dis
uised under the veneer to amend Arti-
es 235 and 226 of the Constitution rel
tive to assessment and taxation, tney
III vote it oown as they did the Pro-
csei Constitutional Convention Just II
lohths age. More in another con. muni-
H. on.