The Natchitoches enterprise., 1917-02-01
Board Of State Affairs, Invites Sug-
gestions and Information.

DOdIu VI OUdCc ADdlIS NtSCS
with various powers and place
upon it various responsibilities
The first, and perhaps the mos
important to the peopl6 of tho
State is the power vested in thu
Board to deal with matters of tax
alton.
With respect to taxation, the
power of the Board is roughly di
vided into four classes.
First, the power to assess pro
perty Stat has heretofore escaped
taxation.
Second, the power to equalize
the assessment of property be
tween the various governmental
subdivisions.
Third, the power to equalize as.
sessments between individuals OF
| the same local ub-divisions.
Fourth, the power to assess the
property OF all public service cor
porations, such as railroads, tele-
phone and telegraph companies,
and express companies.
The Board of State Affairs is a
new Board, vested with new pow
ers, and given the authority to
deal with the question of assess
mentS in a new manner. 1t has
no precedents to follow and no ex-
perience to guide it.
Before this Board can place pro-
perty on the assessment rolls that
has heretofore escaped taxation,
it must know of the existence of
that property.
1t has been asserted by various
people throughout the State and
by some of the newspapers in the
State that the State is full of tax
dodgers.
If any person, firm or corpora
ton in this State IS lodging taxes,
it is the earnest desire of this
Board to know who they are, and
their method of tax lodging.
The Board being new has no set
but is deslrous of fol
lowing the best plan possible to
accomplish its purposes.
The individual members of the
Board do not regard the Board as
4 political body, but feel that it
was designed to be a business in
stitution for the purpose of de-
how best to collect and
expena revenue.
The Board further considers it
self servant of the people, and it
feels that any citizen has the right |
10 make any suggestion to the
Board, with reference to its work,
that he may deem proper.
The members Of the Board de-
sire very earnestly to justify its
for they know that in
order to do so, they must have the
cooperation of the public.
The Board of State Affairs,
INVITES and requests
rom any person in the State Of
louisiana any suggestion with ref
rence to its duties.
1t invites, from any source, in
ormation concerning tax-dodgers
n persons who are not paying
axes on property subject to tax
tion.
1t invites information from any
ource concerning inequalities in
he assessment of individuals in
he various parishes.
1t especially requests from the
newspapers of the State and the
managers thereof, suggestions re-
the work Of the Board and
ny information concerning tax
dodgers, inequalities in assess
aent, or any information that may
nable this Board to more fully
erform its duties to the people of :
he State.
The Board will not consider any
nonymous communication. Any
lformatlon received in response
this invitation will, however, be
reated with the greatest conf
ence. Persons communicating
ny fact along these lines to the
'oard may rest assured that they
ill not be troubled or inconven =
,nced for that reason.
All information Of this character
i'll have to be investigated, and
lie Board must know the source :
the information before any in
can be undertaken.
Address all communications to