Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-01-04

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settled by the Board Of Equal alton, with N
valuations, In the spring OF lands recently be
come taxable, OF new Improvements, aud Q
personality, constituted the FIRST Grand List On
der the act, upon which were TO be assessor
the necessary leyies for State, county and town
ship purposes The value Of lands was S39
729,4li; the value Of town lots and persons
property was SIS, 096. The total valna
ton was S5s, ,507.
Important changes in the laws relating to tax
alton we're introduced in 1881 An act Of tha
year enlarged very considerably the desctip
tons Of taxable property; reduced the list o
exemptions, and extended the application 0
/ the principle of appraisment and proportiones
contribution. II did not disturb, however th,
valuation Of real property equalized in 1875, ,anC
il still retained, in some Of its applications Oh,
principle Of arbitrary valuation by the legisla.
ture.
AT length, after lapse OF nine years, a revAI
uatiOn Of all real property was directed by the
legislature in 1891; was made the same year
and was equalzed in 1885 The property re-
valued consisted Of the descriptions made taxa.
BILE by the act Of 1881; for the act directing
the revolution had made no change in the sub
ieots Of taxation.
The result exhibited striking increase. The
equalized value Of the lands and town lots was
S73, 3,9S2, ,S92 The Grand List Of 1885, embrace
ing this valuation, increased by the usual spring
valuations, amounting, exclusive of four coun-
ties, whose returns had not been received, TO
SEQ, ,297 1896. In nine years the value of taxa
Die property had increased S97, ,452,ss9
A third valuation was made in 1910, and was
equalized in 1871. The subjects Of valuation
were still defined by the act ofls3l The equal
.nn I ~
List for 1871, embracing this valuation and the
additions for real estate and personal property,
made in the spring Of that year, was i2S, $685.
657 The increase in five years had been sS3,-
426,2GI
Athorough revision of the laws concerning
taxation took place in 1916 Important addi-
lions were made TO the descriptions Of taxable
property; exemptions were restricted and de
fined with greater precision rules of sppraise-
ment were prescribed with view TO ensure
closer approximation ofvaluation to value; the
principle OF a,tusl appraisement was for the
first Ii re applied to all objects Of taxation TO
which, in the nature Of things, IT was applicable
clear directions were given foT the annual list
ing and valu ton Of lands becoming tlxable for
the first tina, Of imprOyeu ents, and Of all per-
sonal properly, a new valuation Of all real
property was directed, and provision was made
for future valuations in every sixth year.
The irst general valuation required By this
act, being the fourth in the Whole series, was
made in 1876 and was equalized the same year.
The influence OF the wise provisions Of the new
law was conspicuous in its results, which for
the first time appToximated, though still remo>
tely, the actual value of tire real property in
the State The vl'ue of that description Of
property, as cquaiiz,d, was 1924 4O5, ,S04.
The Grand List of lS47, embracing this
equalizcd valuation, the spring valuation of
personal property amounting to $50 964 43O,
aud the other usual spring valuations, exhibited
an aggregate Of S4l0 763 l6O The increase in
six years had been almos; Incredible Il was
S2Sl 400 500.
Before the time for the second valuation n.
der the act Of 1916 had arrived, a new OOuslitu-
tion had been adopted. The principle of that
act, extended in its application to ali property
whatever, with some specific exemptions, was
now incorporated into the fundamental law;
and the first General Assembly under the new
Constitution, provided for general valuation
and tqualz ltien Of real property in 1853, and
every sixth year therea ter. In pursuance of
this act, the fifth general valuation took place
and was oqualized in 1853 The aggregate of
the equalzed valuation was S5jS, ,725, ,542 The
personal property listed the following spring
was valued at S297 O6l 572 The Grand List
for 1854, including with these values those Of
the lands AMI neE improvements listed in the
spring, was Ss66 929, ,9S2 The increase in
seven years had been again startling 1t was
S456. l66,S22
Tho appraised now more closely ap preached
the real value, and no such apparently rapid
augmentation Of the list could be in future ex-
peeted.
The sixth valuation took place during the
past year, under an act Of the last General As.
sembly, and its equalization is not yet compile
ted According 10 the returns msde by the
County Auditors under the act of April last,
the aggregate number Of acres taxed is %. .3I4-
$50; the average value Of each acre, Sl7 4S;
and the total value of the whole real property
S64l 9lS ISL. The lists of personal property
included in the spring valuations, arc not yet
made. Should they show an increase during
the year proporiioned to that Of the real prop.
erty during six years, the amount will not be
less than S257- -O00,0O0;and the general aggre-
gate, assuming that the total valuation of real
property will not be reduced by equalization,
will be about 5000 100000. The increase for
six years will he about S33 0OO0C0
The Grand List Of 1863 will doubtless show,
with reasonable accuracy. the true amount of
taxable property in the State. Returns of ex
empt property from al the counties, except
Hamilton and Fayette, exhibit an aggregate of
SO $40, s5S. Tnese returns are doubtless i'm.
perfect. The real amount OF this description of
property, in all the counties including chattels,
does not, probably, fall much short OF $50 600
000 The Commissioner Gf Statistics, basing
his opinion on reports of actual sales, estimates
the entire property IN the State at 81, l,O50,00
900
The population of the State is now about
two millions and half Such a population.
grown up from the twenty five thousand of sixty
years ago. educated, energetic and indefatigable,
and possessed of such mass Of mean, created
by the skill and industry of two generations,
presents a striking picture Of progress and
power
venture to suggest the expedieney of d.
rscting the general valuations of real estate,
after the next, to be made once in five years;
so that the results obtained under State author.
ity, may be easily compared with those obtain.
ed under Federal in the census years; while
those obtained by the general valuation in the
intermediate years, and the annual estima' es,
will supply the means of determining the rate of
growth and progress each year during the in
terval between those years.
The amount of debts of whatever descrip
tiOn, State, corporate, commercial and every
other, is now estimated at S24O 100000; but of
tbeses rot ess,probably, than one third, would be
cancelled by payment of other debts embraced
in the same aggregate. The whole existing
debt, constituting real charge upon the whole
existing property, hardly, If at all, exceeds
100000 600; about one sixth Of its value. II
this sum he compared, not merely with the en-
tire property, but with the entire products Of
the State, which according 10 my estimate in
1858, amounted in 1857 TO S26 1867, 500, and
doubtless exceeded that sum in 1859, or with
the probable net products after deduelinL the
consumption, direct and indirect of the people.
the qualification afforded by the spectacle of
our poneral prosperity, will not be sensibly
Abated
While this review Of the progressive develop
ment Of our reyenne sHsiem md of our rnaierial