The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1919-09-19
The New Assement Laws.

katu W. tHS bSW ssSVesutat tab "
made by A. V Loathsn, chief 10 Z
asiistieiau III the ststs Board Of
Equalizstiou:
II anyone has believed the mis
representations. industsiously and
assiduou#ly circulated to tho esiect
tina. the sssss.men, laws passed by
the last Legislature we're directed
alon. al the isrmer, the work which
ws M. doing aud the result, which
we are accomplishing In bringing
TO light the untaxsd aId the undet-
taxed corporate wealth oi Ten.
nessss. 10 surely suiicien. to show
that such reports are false aud mis.
leading and tina. those who are
circulating them are lnsinctrs.
have jus, received the CONFLICT.
cd proof taken 10 an EAst Tennessee
County. and il shows the following
astounding situation;
The entire County was assessed
10 1918 at S..32 .OO0W. The proof
which We have just completed.
shows the property Of the County
to be worth $1.5sA.3S7 10. This i.
All increase Ia this entire County VI
81, $50 30, %, u this increase
81. 03+ ZAP 90 represents the in.
ctease Oh coal lands Belonging to
1--we corporations. We found III
this County " ,525 acres OF coal
land belonging to corporations ~
.es--d at $2t3 065 10. The value
Of this land, ~ shown by competent
expert testimony is $5.l77ll& 90
This yalus,ion vas established by
taxing the dslnsi,ioas oi mining
experts who testified from engineer.
ioY data based on ,hs,, tnewlsds.
or coal deposits on this lsnd !
These coal properties we're ASSESSED
ia 1918 at about I per cen, Of their
value. while the farm lands ia same
County. and tho small homes. were
assessed II more than 40 per cen,
which means that The farmer and
the small home owner in that Couu-
" are paving ten times ~ much
tax ON the same amount OF property
rs these coal corporations are pay
ing. This is not only true m toe
i.rmere and small home owners IN
that County. but the average isrmrr
and the average home owner
throughout, Tennessee. Ia paying
from ax 10 eight times As much
taxes 30 the came amount q.
property ~ these coal eorpofs,io
s,r paying The property belong
ina 20 these corporations represents
about two thirds d the wealth OF
the epilfe County, with An, assf ~
ment against them u I per cen, ot
their value. The property belong
lng 10 these corporation 10 thw
County IL worth more than the
entire assessment in thst County
combined with the a.sesemcn,
asa,nst Scott. Un,coi. usiou and
Rhes.
/, is worth more than the CON.
h,Led asssssmsn. sssin., Desat
Chester. Carroll sni Ren'an
We arr not making sny dsmas
orlc attack on corporations snd ON
The industries vi oM State and our
work Is no, calculated in sny dssre.
aud will nua have the effect OF
driving any such industries out Of
the State. ar al rtArdsra in thr
leax, degree, their development oil
the rsoassss u our Stx,e. We arr
puNuins one unhepdins policy al
every taxpayer, whether
individual OF corpoAiicn. whether
the owner al large wealth OF of
email property: toe The came
ssnishs line. 1t. II course. gill BE-
without NY pointing i,
nut. that unds the operation al the
Sliding Scale Law. every honest
isxpayes Of the State is ben. nsied
vhsn We dig 10 this aatsxe4 saa
rrsssly ander,sxed wealth Of the
state. and pct il on The tar books. J
(s pussoss 10 to go that m assess-,
meat 10 esiaclished in> rennesse~