Oxford eagle., 1922-04-13

Lands Leased By The University
of Mississippi To individuals Ac-
cOrGing to the Value of the Lease
Hold Thereof.
This was a measure introduced in
the Legislature o. Mississippi at its
1922 session, designed to make those
persons leasing lands from the Uni
versity of Mississippi and VINO had
erected homes thereon bear their
Just proportion of the burden of taxa
ton.
The proposed law does not lay any
burden on the University for the
reason it does not tax the fee or the
land but only the volue Of the lease
hold interest, which burden would be
assumed not by the University but
by the lessee.
The bill passed by the lower house
by a unanimous vote, but failed OF
passage in the senate by five votes.
The leasehold interest in the lands
sought to be reached and taxed by
the bill is situated in the city of Ok
ford, Lafayette county, Mississippi.
Many years ago, as far back, per
haps as 1879, when the University
possessed insufficient accommoda-
tions for the students attending the
institution the Board of Trustees
conceived the idea that if the Legis-
lature would empower it to lease
certain lands belonging to the Uni
versity to private persons for the sole
purpose of erecting boarding houses
on the leased premises to furnish
cheap board to the students attend
ing the institution these conditions
and the want of sufficient dormi-
tories would be met. So. the Legis-
lature passed a law which empower
ed the Board of Trustees to effect
leases for the purposes aforesaid.
Pursuant to the authority confer
red, the Board of Trustees made and
executed a number of leases, where
by the lands of the University situa-
ted in Oxford were leased to private
persons for terms varying from 25
to so years at an annual rent vary
ing from S1.66 to $500 for the sole
purpose of erecting houses thereon to
furnish cheap board to students at
tending the University.
For long time after the leases
were effected for the purposes afore-
said, an dafter the houses had been
erected threon by the owners of the
lease hold interest, or the iessees,
they were used for the purposes leas-
ed. -
In recent years. perhaps, within
the last Is wears, the demands of the
University have been met by the er-
ection on the campus of handsome
Il N.
If not for this reason. then for
some other, none of the houses erec-
ted upon the lands leased to private
persons by the University are now
being used nor have been used for
MANY years to furnish cheap board
to the young men and ladies attend
ing the college.
All the houses erected upon the
leased premises, except one which is
a large warehouse, are eihter used
BY the owners as homes or rented
out for homes at lucrative rental.
There are about 25 homes on the
leased premises, all situated in the
city of Oxford.
Some OF the owners thereof, are en-
gagged in business in Oxford, while
one or two are members of the Uni
versity faculty.
The owners and occupants receive
the benfeit Ct the schools Of Oxford,
and the many advantages and bene-
fits the city, state and county afford,
and vet pay no taxes to the city,
county and state. They enjoy the
police protection the city, state and
county gives its citizens. and yet do
not help bear the burden of main
tanning same.
In the year 1880 the Legislature
in order to- encourage the business
of furnishing cheap board to the stu
dents attending the college passed a
law exempting the improvements on
the property used for that purpose
from taxation.
The proposed bill, was designed IN
as much as the impapvements on the
property were no longer being used
to furnish this boarlA to withdraw
this exemption, and thereby place
the owners of the improvements os
an equal footing with all other prop
erty owners in the city. county and
state.
The opponents of the measure, the
owners of the leasehold interests,
through their attorney, first sought
51 -