The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-03-20
The Tax Ques stion.

BY report of the Auditor. General for
the settlement Of 1866 and previous
years, Columbia county was indebted
10 the State s4,6li.s4, on State and spe-
cial state tax. Now, that amount,
with interest to January 1868, and
amount unpaid for 1867, is by state
ment of the State Treasurer, ST.
i16.13, being the amount due January
1868. By the Spring assessment of 1867
it would take county tax of % cents
on the 800 valuation to pay Off said
debt. The nett proceeds would
about equal the debt (s7,416.l3) which
is nett cash due State. If it was wise
for the State Legislature to repeal the
State tax on Real Estate, then it would
have been prudent, also, to rate the
personal property at fair valuation.
The valuation of Columbia county for
State purposes, by the Board of Reve-
nue. Commissioners for 1868, Gland '65,
including both Real Estate and Person
al Property, was $3,26O,273. For 1866,
67 and '6s, by different Board, it was
81 ,462, ,3l2upon Personal Property alone.
BY comparing the two we find that
As per cent. of the former valuation is
called Personal Property, and So per
cent. Real Estate; or the Personal
Property is 9.ll part of the Real Estate.
By the valuation of the triennial as
sessment in the fall of '64, the figures
how different proportion. The valu-
alton of Personal Property in this coun-
ty then was s3l2,S77, at the same time
the valuation of Real Estate in Bloom
township, alone, was 1891 ,Oj3. Making
the valuation in this one township
alone, $7S, JIG more than the valuation
of the Personal Property in the whole
county; and yet by the above figures it
would seem that the Personal Property
was Gil as much as the Real Estate.
1t must be borne in mind that trades,
occupations and professions are not. in
cluded in Personal Property, and are
not liable for State tax. The valuation
of trades, ETC., in Bloom township, in
the fall Of '6i, was S64,775. OF Personal
Property it was s2S,970. Now, then,
here isanother comparison, Real Estate,
*3S9,OOS, Personal Property, s2S $40,
which don't look much like a proper
tion OF ii to Q. 122 to Q would. howev-
er, be about the thing. How must this
be met? Will the Legislature exoner-
ate the county from the due and un-
paid sum, or must the Caunty Commits
si0ners assess q mills ertru COUNTY tar
TO meet the same?
1t is necessary that the tax payers of
Columbia County should know this in
time, so as 70 give it some thought and
properly understand it. This being the
case, the assessors making the next as
sessment, will be compelled to assess
enough State tax to meet the said quo
ia handed down to Us by the Board of
Revenue Commissioners at Harrisburg,
which is s3,S00.Ij State, and s723.64
Special State tax. The amount of State
tax assessed for 1867 was 81 1890, and
J mill tax SlS9.27.
The foregoing statement will show
the amount of tax required from this
county, and the actual amount assessed,
by taking the amount assessed for '67,
from the quota. will give the amount
still due, by comparing the valuation
of the Board of Revenue Commission
ers with the actual assessment willshow
gross error there. By the above, hor-
ses should be valued at $500, cows, $50,
and other personal property in proper
tion. Should no eXoneration be allowed
the assessors, this Spring, they will he
obliged to put in the above valuations,
and by their so doing, no blame can ut-
tach to them nor any of the County Of
hcers. If few of these men at Harris
burg say "we want such an amount OF
tax" the County, l think, must raise
1t, at least SO they say.