Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-10-29
GEORGE B. GOODLANDER
a Dissof.sGed Spirit.

htpttHc beems w nOiu sOuio uHtiputuy
against our county prison. Well,
there are no doubt Others like him. L.
as terror to evil doers generally
The high taxes trouble him wonder
fully, too. A glance at the duplicates
reveals the fact that he has paid with
in the past three years two dollars
and sixty cents county tax, and when
discounted averages about eighty-two
cents year. If his other taxes are
high he should lay the blamo "at the
right Office door," and not insinuate
that the County Commissioners and
the Assessors are the authors of high
tares. If your borough, road, school
and poor taxes arc high, treat it as n
question of your own household and
quit growing about those who have
no control over the question. Bo fair
in business way if possible. Fur
ther on in his growl he remarks:
"In defence of our position we will cite to one
tract Of land, which has come under our notice,
aud which will serve for all purposes. 1t con
tains four hundred and odd acres, and the No
shannon creek divides il equally, one half in
Cleardeld county, the other in Centre In 1870
the portion on the Clearfeld side was taxed s96q3
and in 1871, Sil.52, although in the interim tho
rate had been reduced and the pine taken of. In
consideration Of the pine being taken of, re-
l...N. ID. i
difficulty, obtained. Had the timber been per-
mitted to remain on It, as was the case with other
tracts close By, the valuation would not have
been reduced, and taxation would have quad
ruplod from 1870 to 1871. In the same time, the
taxes paid on the one half Of this tract lying in
Centre county was 1884 in 1870, and in 1871,
s5.6s"
That is business statement, but
it must be enlarged before it can be
debated intelligently. Now, if the
editor will give US the name of the
warrantec of the above tract Of land
and say frankly what the land was
worth per acre in tho winter of 1871
and what it is worth now, we will go
TO the trouble of examining the rec
ords and see who has been imposed
upon. We are no advocate OF high
taxes, but We will 60 as far as any in
dividual can 60 to assist in bringing
about equality in taxation.
Again, the above comparison be-
tween the tax rates in Centre and this
county is no evidence that the Asses
sors and Commissioners of Centre
county are right or ours wrong. If
the officers in the former county see
fit TO assess but s5 per tract on un-
seated lands, that is no reason that
the officers in our county should do
the same thing, because IL might raise
q very serious question between the
seated land owners and the officers, if
brought to the notice of tho former,
which would be altogether likely.
The individual is fool who seeks
to bring about high taxation, but
quito the reverse in striving 10 produce
equality
Again tho editor says:
"Thero Is no one who pays taxes 30 dumb a,
not to see that the increase in the valuation tn o
the rates are reduced, is greatly odding to
their taxesj and the attempt Of the Commission
srs To hoodwink the tax payers, gain credit for
ubf IL - a..
assessors, is too Transparent"
We know the editor to be o good
printer and generally pretty sharp
fellow, but when he gets into the as
sessing and taxation business hc is
out of his element. Tho above quo
tation proves this. When tho County
Commissioners, School Directors, Su.
porvisors or Ovcrseers of tho Poor,
proceed to lay their annual tax rate,
the assessment is secondary consider
alton. How much money do we want
That is proper and the first inquiry
10 make. Somebody says $4,000. 1t
is agreed to. Second, now, what is
the aggregate value of the property
in the county, or township, or the bor-
ough Of OsccolaG Somebody again
says Sl73, 900, in the latter. The third
and last question, and the one which
makes either high or low taxes, no
difference how high or how low tho
property is assessed, is the number OF
mills. The mills and the amount OF
money required is what regulates tho
question. But to tho point Will ten
mills raise tho necessary amount oi
money asks one. Another remarks
no, that will only give us 81, 1,730. 90
and leave us short $4,000, put on two
mills more and we will have little
over, makiog s2,O76.OO; better little
TOO much than not enough.
We again say, it makes no differ
onco what the value of the property
is fixed at, the sum needed and th,
mills laid regulate the subject. AND
in that light it must be viewed. Anc
if SO, then the above extract is falla
cious in fact and unfair toward tn,
Commissioners, and looks like either
ignorance or malice on the part Of th,
author.
But give US tho value of tho trsc
Indicated above and we will try anc
clucidate the point between Centre
and Clear6eld.
He SpEAKs.-Ex. President johnson