Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-04-17
TEXAS DAILY PRESS LEAGUE
Foreign Advertising Representatives
Three Subjects of Legislation

Governor Moody in his proclamation converting
n special session on April % the Forty-first legisla-
lure set out three subjects of legislation for submlS-
eion. e reserved the right to present other matters
from time to time during the session.
First-legislation concentrating the Texas prison
system. Second-carrying into effect the amend
nent to the constitution providing for a state boaru
BIZ education. Third-legislaton providing a merit
kystem for the selection Of subordinate employees OF
the state government.
This makes it interesting all around. Lest we
Forget, the constitution of Texas declares that taxa
bon shall be equal and uniform. This provokes from
Mgr. Gus Reininger of the Texas League for Equal
bnd Uniform Taxation the following biting comment:
MERELY stating in the statutes that assessment
shall be on the full value of the property has not
brought about and does not bring about assessments
Tor full value of property. A law providing for equal
Lty Of assessments throughout the state, which does
bot provide a means or method OF insurlng equaICy
Is Intellectual to accomplish the purpose stated In the
law"
Mgr. Reininger has been digging into the records.
he produces figures to show that Fannin county,
brior to the enactment of the full rendition law in
1905. was assessed at $13, 1861 900. Assessed valuation
bf the county for the year 1928 is $19.5e4,0O0, or an
Increase of 10 per cent. Williamson county for the
Fear 1906 had an assessed valuation OF $15,553,0OO.
Fer the year 1928 the assessed valuation Of William
ON county is $30,862,o0o, or an increase OF 90 per
bent over 1906 valuation.
Mgr. Reininger contends that the better percent
hge assessed on the taxables of Williamson county, as
compared with the percentage assessed on the taxa
bles in flaming county, is equal to the sum Of &c.
t61 900 annually, which for the period of % years
|907-1928 constitutes the sum Of $141, $4,000 under
assessed in Fannin county.
He contends that the average tax levy of the state,
Tor the said period Of % years is 50 cents on the 500
assessed valuation, equaling the sum of $737,994 I'M
Eer paid by Fannin county as compared with the
bmountr paid into the state treasury by Williamson
bounty on taxables of the same value.
Hopkins is a very prosperous county. Hopkins
has just secured a Carnation milk product plant.
Mgr. Reininger points out that Hopkins county for
The period above stated increased its assessments so
Der cent, therefore. underpaying S323,637 as COM
barred with the amount paid by Williamson county.
! III says Van Zandt county for the same period
Increased it's assessments 634 per cent and as such
result underpaid s234,2o1 as compared with the
amount paid by Williamson county.
Upstlur county for the same period increased its
assessment so per cent, resulting in the county un-
|~ierpaying the sum Of s152.o16 as compared with the
amount paid by Williamson county. This is the milk
n the cocoanut from the viewpoint Of Mgr. Reinin-
ger: "The fact, that for the eight years 1920-1927 in
Elusive, two-thirds of the entire state ad valorem
axes were paid for the education of the children IN
he public schools and the indisputable fact that the
assessment as between counties range from Is to 40
per cent, should be convincing evidence that the
present system retards the progress of education, In
That it fails to secure for the educational fund the
pro rata per portion from each county and is there
fore radically wrong and unfair in the distribution
bf the burden Of government"
Section one Of article eight Of the constitution Of
Texas reads: Taxation shall be equal and uniform. "
rs it?