Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-05-05
.Tssrssme,Ifs aud Tnrnfion.

- j.
assessments aud TdrGftOn.
1t was decreed moro than eighteen
hundred years ago that all the world
should be taxed. The justness OF this
edict has been fully established Dy its
adoption by every civilized nation.
The designs of the tax laws in this
country are supposed to be JUST and
snch they are, if properly understood
and administered. IL is as much the
duty Of the citizen 10 contribute his
due share of tax towards the support
Of the State and municipal affairs of
his counlr.' as TO support himselfand
family and the only difficulty in the
way, is, to zee that the burthen of
taxation is equally imposed upon the
citizens that each pays his due
proportion and that none escape
We propose to point out some of the
vagarics prevailing among Assessors
in this county, with reference TO the
assessment ofpersonal property. The
above table shows the number
Of horses and mules, cows, oxen, bug.
GIGS and carriages, and their value,
in each borough and township in the
county, as well as their aggregate
value. llI
The number of horses returned by
the Assessors at the last triennial as.
sessment was $3.50, valued at s2l7,-
29s This is about s57 for each horse.
The average value for cows was about
s12, each yoke Of oxen s66, and
buggics and carriages s25. The per-
sonal property in this county, by this
showing, is assessed entirely too low.
The County Commissioners, in order
| TO meet the State tax demanded off
the county by the State authorities,
are compelled to take ont of the
county Treasury, annually about
s4OO to pay the State tax; thus ig-
! noring the act Of Assembly which
exempts real estate from paying a
State tax, just because the personal
property is not assessed at what it
should be.
An examination shows that horses,
cows, oxen, buggics, carriages and
watches are assessed too low by at
least % per cent. The table alluded
to shows that by the assessment
'horses are valued at s57, while they
should be po. at s75, in order to raise
the necessary State tax.
The inequality of assessments is
also demonstrated in other particulars.
While no township or borough has
assessed horses high enough, it will be
observed that in Burnside, (the high
est they are assessed at s72, while in
Jordan, (the lowest they are valued
AZ but s32 This is certainly not
equqiay because il a person happens
to reside in Burnside township, and
owns a horse, he must pay serenity
tlo0 cents county tax, and school,
State, road and poor taxes in proper
tion, IT. however, be resides 10
Jordan township, he only pays a
county tax of forty.t,oo cents, or sew.
enty per cent less Now, il horse
is worth s72 in Burnside, or $40 10
Huston, what is to hinder IL from
being worth the same in Jordan or
Bradford This is q question that
interests Assessors and tax.payers-
especially the former, as they act
under oath and it is one for them to
solve. .... I..
What we state in reference 10 hor-
ses, is also applicable to lands, and
oxen, cows aud other personal prop
erty. Low assessments do not dimin-
ish taxation; because if five mills
will not yield enough revenue, the
Commissioners and Supervisors put
on Ten, and the School Directors
teeHty-Sir mills, in order to raise the
necessary money.
II must be very evident TO every
business man, and particularly those
who aspire to the duties of Assessor,
that 10 every borough and township
in the comfy there arc horses worth
from s25 to $500, majority Of whom
are worth at least 500. Why, there
fore, cannot the 227 horses in Becuaris,
or the SO in Goshen, be made to aver
age SIS, instead of s55 and s5OY The
same rule will apply to cows: While
some are worth but $40, others are
worth from $40 to $50, whilc the
average should bring at least SIS in
every district in the county. So with
oxen They, however, by tho table,
seem to be assessed higher than either
horses ,eowsorany othcrpersonal prop
erty. The return OF buggies and carria
gcs is greatly neglected, while that of
watches is almost ignored, not one in
fifty being returned.
We propose, at some future time, to
publish a tabular statement similar TO
the one Indicated, showing the mum
ber Of acres Of improved and unim-
proved land in each township in the
pOuntv fnraf AZ, .t.ttl, tho x-alun thnro