Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-02-01
The Unequal Burden Of Taxes.

county hleW WHAT NHGit thAH8 WuuiA bE
until they went to the sherif's office TO
settle. Some have been aRreeably sur
prised while Others have had the shock
of their lives. No idea could be gotten
from a tax receipt Of any previous year.
neither could it be told by figuring the
difference between the old levy and the
raise ordered by the State Tax Commits
sion.
1t wal an entirely lew deal.
The lands were supposed to be as
sessed the highest that lay along or
contiguous to the hard roads and we're
therefore liable to sell for q higher
price, and the valuation was made just
as city property Is taxed-the mar with
a lot that cornered on two prominent
streets paid a higher rate than the man
next TO him.
But this does not seem to be the
case.
The first man who was heard to COM
ment was w. T. Britton, Of Paulette,
who was very much pleased that his
taxes had only been increased SO over
last year. He stated that it was much
better than he expected, as his taxes in
Pickens, where he also owns land, we're
increased $40. Others in the same
oa;ohho.hood hod haar kno-J - oo-
plain, 80 to find out the cause, the tax
books were examined for others in the
same n~eighborhood and it was found
B. A. Little paid On realty in 1916,
$23, 75; in 1917. 500, SO; J. r. and Lula
Sparkman in 1916. $l76. 86; in 1917,
1886. SO; J. E. S~parkman in 1916, BIB OF;
In 1917, s245 Ga. These were the only
receipts examined and were done so as
a matter of comparison.
The unequal valuation does not seem
to be confined to the district above
mentioned, but is in every district For
instance, a farmer who owns one of the
best improved prairie plantations in
district | was heard to rejoice that his
taxes were several dollars less than
they we're last year. Mr.. T. w. Madi-
son said his taxes were a third more.
while Mr.. J. j. Madison's land, with
only a road dividing them. was about
the same as last year. These are only
a few that we're heard to mention the
inequality Of the valuations, but it is an
indication that there are hundreds Of
complaints over the county.
Much comment has been INDUCED in
this week over the action Of the Board,
at its last meeting, IN reducing the val
uation on the lands Of the president of
the Board. Mr.. Thos. McHenry. The
reduction is said to be about 500, 900.
Mr.. McHenry has the same right as
any other citizen of the comfy to petit
that the valuation on his property be
reduced if he considers it too high, and
if any one is to be censured it should
be the members of the Board who voted
for the reduction. They are responsible
for their actions. The sheriff, under
the advice of the attorney general. to
whom the question was scbmitted, re-
fused to accept the Boards action and
make out the receipts as valued under
Exhibit b." but Mr.. McHenry went
to Jackson with a transcript from the
minutes of the Board, and he came
back with an order from Land Commits
sioner Thompson o K. ing the Boards
action, 80 the sheriff accepted the re-
duction.
Under the valuation for 1916, the
realty of Noxubee county amounted to
$5,4 ATS, 056. At a six-mill tax for gen.
eral county purposes there was collect
ed the sun of 1872, $3.50. 33 The assess
, ment this year is ST., 1884, 662, and the
general fund will be SAT, POI. go, an in
crease of $l4,451. For several years
this fund has not been sufficient, as the
Board has had to borrow in March OF
or April from the banks or the sinking
fluids of the county to pay its war
rants, paying back when the following
years taxes were collected. This has
been partly due to the fact that wher
the half million dollars had been spent
. on the roads several years ago it called
, for a number of bridges. About SIS, coz
was spent out of this fund for cement
) and iron bridges b.tween Macon anC
the Kemper county line. 1t was recog'
nized at the time that a bridge bond is
sue should have been made and moi
+ drain the general county funds for tina
, purpose. Another heavy item of ex
! penditure has been the tick eradication
y work. DR.. Herman, of Nashville, wht
! is at the head Of the work in the south
stated a year or two ago at a meeting
=. at the A. & M. College that the eradi
, cation Of the tick had cost Noxube,
county more money than any othe,
county in the south.
Then the high price of food stuffs ha.
made the convict system very expen
sive this year, and it has cost the coun
g ty close to $40, 900 to work the road