The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-10-26
TAYLOR FIGURES
ARE MISLEADING.
u. N. Fisher Refutes Charges
Made by Republican Cam
I paign Managers.
TABLE IS FABRICATION

Nashville. Oct. 2s.--(speciai. l-chair
man J. N. Fisher, OF the democrati,
state committee. today issued a state,
ment attacking the accuracy OF q tabu
lation of county assessments being sen
out by the management OF All TAYLOR,
campaign. The statement reads:
10 the Voters and Taxpayers O
LennesseeLThere has been prepared
ny those In charge OF Col. Taylor's can.
didacy a tabulated statement purport
ing to show In parallel columns the All.
legged aggregate Of the assessment 8,
property in each county in the state
IN 1918, the alleged rate of taxation fol
each county for 1918. rand the alleged
aggregate OF the assessment in each
county for 1890 with the alleged rate
and the alleged total Of taxes to be
paid under the new assessment, and
also showing the alleged percentage Of
year 1920 over the year 1918.
Those in charge Of Col. Taylor
campaign are undertaking to have this
statement carried as supplement by
the newspapers of the.state. The en-
tire table 10 such fabrication of un-
truths and deceptions from one end to
the other that ! cannot permit 1t to 20
unchallenged. This table is Intention
ally deceptive and misleading and de-
liberately misstates the facts with no
intention whatever Of disseminating the
truth to the voters and taxpayers OF
Tennessee. but with wilful Intent to
deceive the voters and profit by such
INSCRIPTIONS deception. I
The column Of figures showing the
alleged assessment In each county for
1918 is false from one end to the other.
It. shows only the assessment OF realty
and personality. excluding entirely the
railroad and utility. assessment in each
county It IL certainly fair to assume
and to state that the omission of the
railroad and utility assessment ess for 1918.
liberateIy and Intentionally omitted
from these figures with a dishonest and
deceptive purpose, intending to make
the percentage Of increase in the as
sessment of 1920 In each county over
1918 q great deal more than the actual
increase Is.
1.-THE result is that this column Of
figures shows the total assessment In
the state in 1918 to have been $599, 000.-
600, when as q matter of fact from rec
ords made UP before Gov. Roberts be-
came governor Of Tennessee, the as
sessment Of the whole property in the
state that year was In round numbers
$726,000,000. Thus It will be seen that
Col. Taylor's candidacy seeks to DELHI
erately mislead the voters Of Tennessee
by emitting about 9ats sls7ooo.ooo from the
'The table published then compares
the total tax paid by each county in,
1913 with the alleged total tax 70 be
paid In 1920. This table shows the to-
tai Of all taxes. both state and county.
paid in 1918 to have been a little over
$t1, 000, 000.. and the alleged total OF
taxes to be paid in 1920 to be little
over $16.0o0,000. or an increase Of about
s';S sThis Uc:ompasison. even If tn. honest
figures had been published. would be
unfair, deceptive and misleading for
two distinct reasons:
"First-This table is intended to
charge Gov. Roberts administration
with all increases Of taxes in the state
from 1918 to 1890.
''Second--It is intended to create the
impression in the minds of the voters
that all increases Of county taxes levied |
by the county courts for various local |
purposes IL to be charged to Gov. Rob- |
eYts' administration.
"There was an increase In county |,
taxes alone in the various counties In |
the state of Tennessee in 1919 over |
1918 Of $i,s45, 900. The levies provid-
Ing for this increase were fixed by the I
various county courts In Tennessee on
the FIRST Monday In January, 1919, not |
only absolutely Independent OF the state |
government, but before Gov. Roberts !
was ever inaugurated governor of Ten |
nessee. It would have been just as
fair to have compared the total taxes