The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-08-29
state Board of Equalization.

Dor in the heat Of Summer. the State
Board OF Equalization adjourned yestcr-
day, having finished their part of the
work in equalizing the assessments Of
the counties by a careful comparison of
the work of all the County Assessors.
and themselves appraising the value of
the railroads and private corporations of
the State. 1t is scracely necessary for
the Sentinel to repeat its sincere COM
mcndatiOns of the faithful labor and
singleness of purpose which the Board
brought 10 this important duty. How
ever sacred some oyer-zealous partisans
may consider the duty to condemn with
out discrimination everything that is
not done by themselves. right or wrong.
the people should know thai their public
servant have discharged their duty not
lonly in Il mastery manner creating svs-
tenn out of chaos and placing Indiana 5
property in better form Tor tqxation
than almost amy other state. but they
have done their duty in inter iorgc'iul-
ness OF polite. or any consideration
other than "A tail execution OF the now rev.
enue law. Tie result. as regards the law
j. generally satisfactory. or would prob
ably bc 20. ~ the rates assessed. both hv
the state aud for local taxes. were not
too high. \ wrong has been done there
which can bc remcdicd ia only one way.
Iand that j. Dy saving the money after it
is collected, a dabious hope. i; must be
Iadmiitrd. The entire value oi lhc state
lit j. S5i3.7S9.326 46. or almost $1,000
upn.pO, against the last assessed amount
Uf between ,iN aud seven millions. The
realty Of the State /, S653 6l9.ul6. and
the personal property S2i. 1851. On
account OF the modification of tile ap-
prai>emcnt under The new law. requir-
ing iuil values. contrary TO former prac-
lice. the increased total value cannot be
taken as indicating the growth OF the
>tnie. although portion of the excess
n disc 10 HAT, how much can Hoi be A.
rcriained. a word may be said about
inc work OF the Board ~ appmi~iu. tie
Railroads 1T was difficult and delicate
lash. lie Bo.io ,Nt cnueU d vast deal
of labor ln tiie Investigation. aaI have
lcndcavoFed 10 ~ fip-. .naic la.srf-. fn
all parties. Bur tacy stand aetNcrn iwa
nr,s. Svme 90 tie people who arc uo.
well advised. find fault because the roads
aie g--csscd TOO low. aud Tie coni pduicS
l,r, "a lille sore because their bills for
taxes are 80 largely increased over form
rr wears. Thus. while both Side. COM
PLAIN. it will be sale to presume that the
Hoard have done A. nearly right n they
could. lhey may have lett room for i'm
prUrcnent il would be out of the order
OF human proceeding il they had not.
lle railroad property as appraised bvl
ihc i.oaid. fools up S39.279.75s agaiii,tl
>is.vUOtUo heretofore. That il au i'm
pur,ant addition 10 the revenue tax Ntblcs
u must al-O bs remembered that por-
!lon ~ Tic railroad property. such rs
real estate outside the righi of way OF
The i~ad bed. AID certain CLASSES OF per-
-onalty are assessed ts Tie county ofl-
eeis in additirn 10 the amount above
stated making the railroads pay tax
altogether on not 'ess than SfO,UDDtOU.
Ia appraising railroads there are some
cirOrs Uf equity that a superficial think
cr is liable 40 iall into. For instance, it'll
j. lnaniiestly unfair 10 measure the ap-
pral,cInent ~ all times by actual cost.
\ s"ag through very rough country is
expensive. it may cost 5000 mile 10
prepare the road bed in some situations,
ami not more than a liih part OF that
,um in others. But the road is worth 10
more Tor lis purposes in one place than
the other. \ rIver may have 10 be
bridgcd nj a cost Oi slVO.uOU, but il is
the misfortune OF the company. and not
a benefit To the value or the road as a
road. 1t would certainly be unfair to-
estimate the tax liability on such extra
ordinary cost. Tie business OF a road
determine, its value. outside of the ele-
ncuis of cost in material that are uni
form. OF nearly 80. when the materials
are similar. 4 ne telegraph property j.
set down at SeUI.S7o. when includes
an assessment OF sGUO0CO, that may be
contested Oh the ground that the stock
is foreign capital. Ii is found, thus
early, that q q statute j. not perfect ia
its design t. scoop all the property that
is justly -. Z to taxation. This appears
when 'l- Board comes to reach Tor the
lprivai corporations. Tie amount OF
this class OF property found and listed Is
S2.ssG.352 40 but Ia the iirst place. all
lprivate banks Zip through the fingers
of the State Board on the ground that
they are not corporations ut all, but
mere partnerships. 80 they escaped the
Board OF Equalization entirely, aud as
The table recently published by the Sen
ltinel shows, they leave but very little
wool in the claws OF the county assess
ors. There is leak that the law has
failed To stop. Again, up 10 the present
writing there is no way of verifying the
number OF living private corporations
that really have capital. True, articles
lot association are filed with the >ccre-
tary OF State. But of the list on that
hats ltax