The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1917-10-04

nance of the states institutions ana all
public interests which the commonwealth
| is under obligations to support, have not
Kept pace with these demands.
| This condition has greatly concerned
many Of our thoughtful people Tor num-
Der of years. Much has been said ana
| notwithstanding the fact that conditions
have grown from bad to worse. nothing
| had been done to save the state from TINS
| embarrassing situation and eventual
bankruptcy until this legislature blazed
| the way ny the passage of the law that
| created the state tax commission, giving
| it powers OF general supervision over the
| valuations and equaiizatiOns of the as
| sessments throughout the entire state
Under the old system and through the
weakness of it. the boards OF supervisors
| of the eighty-one counties or the state
| had gradually drifted into a custom, or
rather had reached a common under
| standing that the property in their re-
| spective counties would be assessed Ior
just enough to provide for the county,
expenses SO strong was this sentiment
| prevailing recently until the entire as
| sessment of the state dropped twenty
millions In one year.
| So common was the understanding that
! the many boards of supervisors publicly
| announced that 1t was their policy to re-
duce the assessment and raise the county
| levy so as to rob the commonwealth OF
| it's just and proportionate part or the
| revenues which were more and more
needed to take care OF a rapidly growing
state with ever increasing burdens
You gentlemen, recognizing that this
policy was impairing the states credit
I tending to certain bankruptcy of the
| commonwealth. dared to face all opposi-
! ton and the criticisms OF the professional
| tax dodgers and provided a law that II
| perfected and put in full force will even
tually solve this greatest of all problems
| that has perplexed the people of every
| government under the sun.
/ Iaxxy
| expected there would be opposition to IT'S
| enforcement from those people and sec
| lions that were escaping their just and
| proportionate share of the states bur
| dens. but this most equitable and far
| reaching piece of legislation has stood the
storms of opposition. run the gauntlet OF
| the supreme court and has already WORK
| ed wonders in equaliZlng the tax puruehs
bringing from hiding the hidden millions
| and going far toward adjusting the imam
| cial affairs of our state
1t is very gratifying, am sure. 10 you
| to know that as the just and equitable
provisions of this law are more and pet
! ter understood by the people, 1t grows IN
| favor with them. for the great majority
of the people have no patience with the
wilful tax dodger or the man or corpora
| ton that is unwilling to pay taxes In just
protection and blessings.
| Nearly Doubles Assessment.
| Notwithstanding many defects in the
| law already passed and the great need
1
| through the. cooperation of an honest
! citizenship, the assessors and boards OF
| supervisors of the eightX-one counties IN
! Mississippi, together with MISSISSIPPI 5
| splendid railroad commission, almost dou-
| bled the states assessment ana L prOpn-
| esy that with your help and cooperation
| in making this law stronger That the as
| sessment of Mississippi will reach within
| the next two or three years one ana
| half million dollars.
| The people have been assured by me
| through the boards of supervisors ana
! through the tax commission that the
| taxes of the people would not be In
| creased for as the assessments increased
the levies would be reduced. The great
| est benefit derived from this law is the
| equalization of assessments, or rather the
| equitable distribution of the tax burden
| No public official or group of public Off
| Gals desires to collect from the people
more tax money than is absolutely neces-
| sary to properly conduct their public az
| fairs.
Now. since the assessment Of the state
| i'll the sum total has almost been dou-
| bled it is necessary that the state levy of
six mills be reduced and that authority
| be delegated to the school districts and
| other taxing units to reduc" their levles:
| for in many counties in the process Oh
| euua lization, the county assessment has
| been many times increased, and to let
| the levies stand originally provided
! would mean the collection of many times
| more money than is needed to carry on
| ties For the protection OF the taxpayers
| / insist and urge that it is your duty to
| authorize and direct these reductions.
Before leaving this all important sub
| iect | want YOU to know that the railroad
! commission has fixed a tentative assess
| ment which shows an increase of about
| forty million dollars on the public service
| corporations in Mississippi and L want
| to here and now congratulate the people
/ of Mississippi upon having such an effi-
cient and patriotic commission
In making this increase they have pre-
vented an injustice from being done to
the other taxpayers of the state. BY
this increase they have assisted the tax
commission in equalizing the burden on
all property alike. In urging you to re-
duce the state levy of six mills and other
| levies | want to sound note of warning.
There may be an effort on the part of
| some interests on the outside to defeat
this reduction and the argument Will be
/ made that the state needs the money 10
Il pay off the accumulated deficits of other
| years. This is gooo argument, put
\ lis is not the time to take care of all
these deficits by a direct tax on the peo-
pie this year. l do not charge that it is
the motive of those who opposed reduc-
ton of levies to encompass the repeal OF
the tax commission law, but this VIII De
the effect IL you gentlemen reIuSe 10 re-
duce the levies .
when taxpayers are forced to pay all
these accumulated burdens in one year
and their taxes thus being doubled IN
great many counties. there will be raised
n great cry and an insiStent demand for
the immediate repeal of this law.
The world was not mada in Gay, nor
can these great problems be solved In
moment. You are on the right track. Let
us make haste slowly and with wisdom
and patience, fairness, justice and equity
to lead the old ship of state out OF the
troubled financial waters that have been
so long disturbed by a policy of short
sighted s tesmanship.
Once convince the people of Mississippi
f{oJ1 10 ant
does not necessarily mean high taxation
and all our troubles will be over. Then
no man will hesitate to have all Of his
property assessed at full value In fact,
the average citizen would be inclined to
be proud fhis possessions and holdings
4 as shown by his assessment and am sure
| that no better advertisement could be
/ given to the world of Mississippi's great
! wealth. splendid values and untold pos
| sbiliti rs than to place upon her assess
/ ment rolls her millions and billions of
| wealth in property.
i I have directed your attention to the
importance of creating council Of state
defense 1t is Very necessary and almost
imperative in order that Mississippi may
properly perform her part IN the greai
| and thorough preparation that the entire
| natitn is now making for the proper and
| successful conduct of the war against
our enemies.
/ 1t is necessary in aiding and co-operat-
ing with the national council of defens ?,
created by a recent act of congress, and
with such other councils or bodies as the
respective states of the union may estat
i fish for national defense and for the per-
Torrance under the direction OF the proper
,.ia lc, ~ nd a n