The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1919-08-29
INEQUALITIES OF
TAX ASSESSMENTS
RtvEALEDBYL0UTHAN
CHIEF STATISTlCIAN POINTS OUT
GROSS ADVERTISEMENTS
IN SOME COUNTIES.
COAL MINING PROPERTY FOUND
Tangible Property Of Many Corpora
tons in Various Counties Assessed
at Far Below Its Actual Value Says
LOTHIAN.
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Aug. 23-"That
the honest taxpayers Of the state, who
by the way, are very largely in the
majority, may be fully informed as
to the deplorable and indefensable
condition of the assessment of prop
erty throughout the state" said Chief
Statistician A. V. Louthan, 81 desire
to say since giving out my last state
ment, that | have received reports
on two East Tennessee and certain
following startling and sensational
revelations.
In one county we discovered coal
land which had been valued at 1885,.
100000, entirely unassessed This
coal is now being actively mined and
put upon the market. In the same
county we found one corporation own
ing coal land of one thousand acres,
assessed at 100000. This land has
been valued in its present state by
competent expert mining men at $685.,
$4,000 and the owners themselves, un.
der oath, have testified that this is a
fair valuation. This is also being ac-
lively mined.
f,.na nf l
land of nine hundred acres, assessed
at 100000. This also has been val
ued by competent mining experts: The
valuation placed upon same is $4,000,
and the owners consent under oath to
this valuation.
Another tract of one thousand
acres, assessed at $4,000, which has
been valued at $4,000.
Another tract assessed at $1,000,
which has been valued at $4,000.
Another tract assessed at $4,000,
which has been valued at $4,000
I'm each instance these mines are
being actively operated, and in each
instance the owners have consented
to the above values after they had
been fixed by competent expert min
ing men,
"a THE p1'opert 4ines one civil district
of this county, belonging to coal COM
panies, was assessed in round num-
bers at 100000. The proof shows a
valuation upon the coal lands of this
district of $5S7,25O. These valuations
have in the main, also been approved
by the owners of the land
"In another county we discovered
one tract of mineral land assessed at
$1,000. The owner paid 100000 in
cash for it. 1t is assessed at six
tenths of one per cent of it's value
'In one county we found one hum
bred and thirty-one houses and lots be-
longing to a coal company, which were
unassessed They have been valued
at $71,G5O, and the owners say this
is fair valuation.
'In another county near Nashville
we found forty-nine houses and lots
unassessed. These have been valued
at $4,000.
In another county we found one
hundred and tifty-three houses be-
longing to a coal company unassess-
ed These houses have been valued
at $S3,575 and officials of the corpor-
alton say that this is a fair valuation.
Among these houses is hotel which
has been valued at $500 and store.
house valued at $4,000, both of which
are unassessed as.'
I'm another county adjoining Da-
wilson, we found business block on
the public square of the county seat
of the county, entirely unassessed.
This has been valued at $4,000
"In another East Tennessee county
we have found gigantic foreign cor
poration, with tangible property To-
Gated in that county which is worth
considerably more than twice the
amount that the entire county is now
assessed. On account of the magni.
tude of the holdings of this corpora
ton, | am directing an especial inves-
tigation and an expert appraisal of
this plant, and will not give out the
figures until | am able to back them