The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-22

The figures of the assessment bv
wards have not been compiled In the
county assessors office The totals are
not given In the books sent in from the
office Of the chief statistician. A, ".
l.outhan The books were brought 10
memphis personally by Bluford Rich
ards, who has been appointed agent "a
we state equalization board for all OF
west tennessee. A, l.. Robinson is In
charge Of the assessment for Middle
Tennessee and Judge S. II. Staples. for
East Tennessee
Unul the total appraisal for the
state Is available, no exact estimate
can be made of the state tax rate for
this year. The new assessment and
taxation laws fix sliding scale Tor
the state tax, based upon the total
assessment of the state, Mr.. Rich
ards says that the total figures may
be completed within a week and viii
then be given out by Mr.. Louthan
with statement OF what the state tax
automatically will be-
The figures based on the original
boundaries for the former seven old
districts, which have been changed
however. since the law was passed. are
First, SS,545.s25. increased from ST..
:. second y, sls.a2575, Increased from
Third. sl2,5s51sO, increased from
| 81. $50 s55
| $780, COS.
Fifth, so,ssA27o. increased from ST..
| 344, 700
SIKH, szstg.1so increased from ST.
Elias Gates. chairman Of the taxa
ton committee OF the Chamber OF Conl-
inerce. had already called meeting 0s
mat committee, with committees from
the. Memphis Real Estate association
alss.las -
| the Chamber OF Commerce, for ESQ
1 o'clock Thursday afternoon in his Of
| flee. The primary object was 20 get
| the figures on number Of inequalities
| In the appraisal, TO be submitted 10 TIM
agents Of the state board. 10 that they
| may be corrected before the figurea
| are nresentsd 70 the county el.galization
board or acted upon by the county an
4 se gsor
/ A part OF Mn Richards duties NJ
| the representative OF the state board,
viii be TO hear any such complaints and
| take the matter up with the state sta
ustician, where proper proof may be
| made that the appraisal Is higher than
| recent sales Of the property warrant,
| or than the figures at which options
have been secured, or at which the
! property has been offered for sale, upon
u bona flde contract OF sale with any
| real estate dealer.
| The deputies IN the office Of w, n.
| Condor, county tax assessor. began tab
ulating the figures OF the appraisal in
| the city wards Thursday morning, but
| as the totals on each page OF the ass
sessment books must be added, the
| complete total for each ward probably
will not be figured up until Friday.
| Hays Flowers, who has been employed
| by the taxation committee Of the Cham
| Der Of Commerce. will compare the ay-
erage appraisal for the other 81 coun-
| ties of the state with that for Shelby
| county as soon as the total figures
are released at Nashville. He will also
| figure out from that total what the
state tax will be, and the percentage
| OF the total state tax on real estate
which shelby county win pay under the
new assessment.
| Obviously. In carrying out the pro-
visions OF the new laws, the county
court at its July term, in fixing the
| tax rate for county purposes, should re-
duce the tax OF last year, which was
| $1.16i2. in such way as to collect
/ only what gross revenue is required
| With an increase of more than 800
per cent, the county tax II cut to one
| Third would produce more revenue than
| the county received on the lower as
sessment last year That should bring
the county tax rate down to slightly
| less than 40 cents,