When requested by the commissioner, all transporters (railroads, motor vehicles, or other interstate commerce carriers) of timber or timber products which are subject to the tax herein imposed, out of, within, or across the State of Mississippi, shall be required to furnish the commissioner such information relative to the transportation of such timber or timber products as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this article.
The commissioner shall have authority to inspect bills of lading, waybills, or other similar documents, and such books and records as may relate to the transportation of timber or timber products in the hands of such transporter out of, within, or across the state; and the commissioner shall further be empowered to demand the production of such bills of lading, waybills, or other similar documents and books and records relating to the transportation of timber or timber products at any point in the State of Mississippi which he may designate.
The removal by the owner or owners, transporters, purchasers, or producers of timber or timber products, except interstate commerce carriers, from the state without first paying all severance tax that might be due, or obtaining from the commissioner or his duly authorized agent, in advance, written approval or permit to remove from the state any of the timber resources taxed by this article, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, be fined not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00), nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), for each such offense.
The commissioner, or his duly authorized agent, shall have the right and authority to assess and collect any severance tax found to be due and unpaid, at the point of removal from the state, upon all timber or timber products found being removed from the state and shall assess, in addition to the tax found due, interest at the rate of six per centum (6%) per annum, together with penalties and damages in an amount not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00), and not to be less than Five Dollars ($5.00), upon any severer, producer, owner, purchaser, or transporter (except interstate commerce carriers), found to be removing timber or timber products from the state.
Provided, however, that in cases of interstate commerce carriers, duly qualified as such and having a permit to conduct such operations, using bills of lading or waybills prescribed or approved by the interstate commerce commission, such common carriers shall only be required to keep the usual records at an office or offices in this state where such records are usually kept.