The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-01-11

to the amonnt of 50 ,l42 .
It was not until 1925, hewevar. that this
system, if eystem it may be called was aban.
Idored. la that year,-distinguished in our
annals by the coincident adoption of practical
!. and efficient measures for common school ed
/. iucatien, internal Improvement BY canals, and
? taxation according to vaIue-provision was
first made. by legislative enactment, for the
: valuation of real property at its true value in
money. The amount of personal property
: actually valued. however, was still small
Merchants and brokers we're arranged in Ger
; tain clases by the associated jadges, according
to capital, and were taxed according to class,
without reference to the amount of capital
, actually employed bv different members of the
: same class. The values of the animals s1b-
!, jeete1 to taxation were still fixed by the leg
! isature without appraisement. and the list of
} iexempted property was very large, including
!. not only real property used for educational,
religions, and charitable parposss, but mills
and factories almost or quite without exemp-
ton
Il II will be seen, therefore, that the act Of
4 1925, initiated rather than established. the
} table of valuation. and taxation according to
| value. But, this was no small merit and it
; was enhanced by the introduction of a uniform
system of leVies foe all purposes. both State
anu iUCdiy dtlu Ois a prOhlStOu iOT buC
! tion of valuations az between individuals, by
| County Boards, and as between counties by a
q State Board of Equalization Both, in sub,
r stance still make parts of our revenue system.
5 It will be admitted. of course, that the val
uafion directed aud made under the act of
j 1925 affords no satisfactory measure of the
t actual wealth of the State at that time. 1t
has however. seme claim to attention even in
f that view, and it has higher interest as the
practical result of the first attempt to ascer.
tain. however defectivsly, true basis for the
4 equitable apportonment of public burdens
among the citizens. The whole number of
t acres subject to taxation, returned by the
assessors, was Is l43 309 the average value
J. per acre. as eqnalize1 by the Board Of Eqlal
ization. was 50 AT; the total value of lands
was S37 ia 225 of town lots, 81 321 .034
d in all $45 ,035 .259 5..--e.-
d The act of 1925 fixed no period for a second
general valuation. The appraisement made
under it was TO remain unalsered until farlher
: legislation, The county assessors we're re-
s qnired to ascertain in the spring Of each year,
what land had become liable to taxatioa du
/ ring the preceding year, and what new permal
nent improvements had been made by struc-
/. lures on lands The value of this land and
d these improvements, annually ascertained by
! the assessors together with that of all taxable
personal property. compu ed according to ar
e bitrary rates fixed By law, added annually to
the equaIized value of real property, was to
r constitute the Grand List, and form the basis
d of taxation for the current year.,
If 3 Thus in 1926. the valuation permanently
ir settled BY, the Board of Equalization, with the
e. valuations, in the spring, of lands recently be-
d come taxable, of new improvements, and of
H. personally, constituted the first Grand List
q under the act upon which were to be assessed
ic the necessary levies for State, County and
le Township purposes The value Of lands was
le 39,729,4l1; the value of town lots and per-
" sonal property was $l8 745 096 The total
II valuation was S58 ,474 507. y 20. 49, .zsz4,,a
IS Important changes in the laws relating to
10 taxation were introduced in 1881. An act of
) shat year erlarged. very .considerably9the de-
d sctiptons of taxable property !; reduced the
list of exemptions, and extended the appliea-
D. ton of the principle ap1raisement and pro-
m tpertioned contribution. It did not disturb,
Il however, the valuation of real property equal
(. lied in 1925 aud it still retained, in some
K of its applications, the principle of arbi-
e, trary valuation by the legislature.
y A length, after the lapse of nine years.
D. revaIuation of all real property was directed
s. Eby4 the Legislature in 1884 !; was made the
st same year, and was eqnalizsd in 1885. The
property revul.ed consisted of the descriptions
lie made taxable by the act OF 1881; for the act
le directing the Fevauation had made no change
d, in the subjects of taxation
ID t The result exhibited as;strikibg increase.-
< TIE 20 azatl value of the lands and town
lots was $73 932 892 The Grand List Tof
st 1888. embracing this valuation, increased by
ii the usual spring valuations. amounted, exclu-
ii sve of four counties whose returns had not
of been received, TO $95 927 1896 In nine years
u, The yalne of taxable property had increased
ST $37 452 $50.
,e "A third valuation " as made in, 1910. and
1T was equalized in 194l. The subjects of VAL
< uation were still defined by the act of 1881
le The equalizei valuation. was 500 154 745.-
r The Grand List for Is4l; embracing this val
# uation and the additions for real estate and
n personal property. made in the spring of that
~ year. was 1928 S359657 fae increase in Eve
y, Years had been S32 42626
eff A thorough revision of he laws concerning
r. taxation took place in 1916. Important ad-
& ditions were made to the descriptions of taxa
rs BILE property Exemptions were restricted and
tn defined with greater precision rules of ap-
g praisement we're prescribed with a view to
u ensure closer approximation of valuation to
in value; the principle of actual appraisement
was for the fi'ststims applied to all objects of
'ss taxation to with. in the nature Of things, it
ri was applicable clear directions were given
I'd. Ior tne annuai HStlng anu Vatuatl0n OF lands
ed becoming taxable for the first time, of i'm
fol provements and all personal property a
nd new valuation of real property was directed,
he and provision was made for future valuation
,es in every sixth year. ' f
lid The first general valuation required by this
OF act, being the fourth in the whole series, was
ut, made in 1916, and was equalzed the same
he year. The influence of the wise provisions ai
So the new law was conspicuous in its results
he which for the first time approximsted, though
ms still remotely, tbs actual value of the real
re, property in the StateScThe value of that de-
AN scription of property, as eqnalized, was 1924,
lie 495 904 ~
ro The Grand List of lS47, embarrassing thi.
equalized valuation, the spring valuation o
of personal property amounting to $83 964 43O
Tal and the other spring valuations exhibited ar
MS aggregate of $4l0,763 160 The increase il
md six years had been almost Incredible 1t wal
$281 ,409 sos
yal Before the time for the second valuation
EN- under the act of 1876, arrived, new Consti-
ec tuition mad been adopted. The principle o
of that act, extended in its application to al
sss property whatever, with some specific exemp-
ON tions was now incorporated, into the fanda-
ev meutal law !; and the FIRST General Assembi,
on under the new Constitution, provided for
ere general valuation and equalization of rea
fer property in 1853, and every sixth year there
cts after 10 pursuance of this act the fifth gen.
eral valuation took place and was equalized il
,ses 1853 The aggregate OF the equaized vaua.
,rd ton was $558,7 542. The personal prom
led erty listed the following spring was valued q