, 1873-08-02
TIE TAX-STEAI1N9 LAW.

| correspondent from Canton, Fulton County.
writes asking information concerning the opera
tlon OF tho tax-law Of 1860, on the increased
assessment Of property for State taxos In 1879.
Tile truo oporntion Of the low is stated in hia
lettor, and wo submit to the people Of Illinois
that moro Infamous robbery, under tho color Of
law, was mover porpetrated. Tho law of 1869
nade tho assessment Of 1868 standard ; it thon
provided that any tux loviod for State purposos,
or any fncroase Of valuation ovor that Of 1868.
IN my county ortown owing debt contracted in
MD Of railroads, should be hold by the State
Ireasurer separately, and, instead Of boiug nm
Piled for State purposes, should be used by him
In paying tho railroad-aid dobts of such
county or town. 80 long as tho dobt Of tho
stato was annually decreasing, and tho amount
nooded for State purposes was diminish
ing, there was no occasion for in.
creasing tho annua1 valuation Of proporty
IN tho State over thatof 1868, and, therefore, tho
diversion Of money from tho State Treasury for
local debts waa comparatively small. The Con-
Rtitution OF 1870, however, struck that large
body of men in all local communities who liyo bv
handling public money savoro blow when IT
limited tho creation Of county debts to per
cent OF tho asaosacd valuation Of tho county, and
limited tho ratio Of county taxation to rs conta
por 300 for current expenditures by such
county. These provisions, most excellent in
themselves, clipped tho wings OF soaring suror-
visors, and forced expenditures down to tho
hard-pan of Indispensable necoss,ty. Tho
holders Of the rai1road-aid bonds got eomcwhat
alarmed; SO there waB general movo all along
tho limo to havo tho aasossnont for 1873 mado
Tour Or fVo times Nj great as TINT Of 1868, whore.
by tho following results might bo obtained:
l. The collection Of very largo sum to nav
tho railroad-aid debts.
2. To authorize tho Increase Of tho county and
town indebtedness by the issue ind salo Of
bonds.
y. Tho increase Of taxation for county MIR
poses from Is cents to ss on each 800 Of prop
orty.
To carry out these three objects tho nssoss-
ment for 1878, on full valuation, is now pro-
gressng all over tho State. Our correspondent |
touches upon ono only Of those topics, TINT Of |
tho railroad-atd awindlo. We enlarge his illus
tration. Tho County Of Knox owos no rai]road |
dobt, but the Town Of Rio, IL that county, owos |
S3o,0o0. Under tho operation Of this law. tho
asaossed value OF property in Knox County will be
increased from $1,000, 900 in 1868 to $40 900 900
In 1873. But the Town Of Rio will bo taxed for
stato purposes only upon the valuation ct its
property in 1863 Nor will tho property Of tho rail-
road Which has boon constructed in TINT town bo
assessed for State p,rposea; tho whole tax COL
lected thorofrom will be applied to tho payment
OF tho debt OF tho Town Of Rio, In poiut of
fact, tho other towns in Knox County will havo to
pay the railroad dobs Of Rio, Or, which Is tho
BRme thing, pny the State tax due from that
town and taken to pay its railroad debt. So with
many other counties where tho dobt ts not a
county debt, but ohargeablo to separate towns.
In MI such caaos, tho towna which owe no debt
will practically havo to pay tho dobt of those
That haye Issued railroal-aid bonds, This ia tho
'aao In Fulton County, where tho debt Of s178-
)oois owed by only fiyo townHhips; theso town.
ships Will pay nothing into tho State
rreaaurY On tho increase Of their asseasment nor
Upon tho railroad property within their llmits;
Ind tho doficlonoy in tic stato revonuo will have
% bo made good by m apportionmont Of tho
.mouut upon the other towns In the county, In
Ills way, towns iu no nanner benontod by tue
Of tho railways will practically have
% pay tho debt croated to build them. II
Tic mode i}xed by law for meeting this do.
lcienoy ia - followas II tho valuation for 1868
Yas $3.50, 600 aud tbat Of 1878 Is $26
10000, mud IT tho portion Of this inoreaso
hargoable to tho oountoa and towns owing rail-
oaa debts, and tho property OF xailroada con,