, 1875-08-28
Total tctallh If

Total tcf1lth ef
tit.nr,s.
IN lfaI. .%I1b, ,l1, GU
IN IN IT, aa} :S1
, Hero was
srEAnY AND LEGITIMATE INCREASE
In tho val0o Of taxabls property, hB became q
rit!ly-leYclorlng State. Dut tbs Roront,e law,
which former Legislatures lad not madded
with very much. 3I2ynn to bo uutlnrstooa a,ld
tue Assessors had icnvnod how to dodae aud
warp itB PROVISIONS 80,
1n 1889, tho tota wealth dropped t38H 77 ol1
H. lh%i sl dropped n...''..'....., as' F2pt tt19
IL lNs5 II Blobu jill ,Hb9,tTl
In 1866, at tin close Of tho Var, flush tfmos
ch!ao along. and tho AHscssorB found gIaud
total If Sjaa,a27, O06.
Ii t9lu rcturH hy counties hro Looked ut, ono
secs in broader light how afsi,.uuus tho Assess
hora Wcro In conCennE from the tAx-Gat1Iorcr
thu wealth Of Tho neopin. For Instance, III Jo
Daslcss County, tile AeHeasors returuod:
Ior t44,4
iu i3l!,Hl4
iof !s6i 9513,Ml
!oF t'h! ell3,hn1
1ts IO.1t7lG
Now, can my honest man believe TINT lilo
fell on es,4lu59S between tho years 1871 aud
1862 To al,ow that it did nat, tic unitod States
ceI'Bua, taken Atortly nftorwnsd found Jo la.
fleHs to bo worth sl59l3.llb That WA be-
eanso tho people wore not 10 ha taxad on tho re-
snsns tnatlo to tho United Htatcs officers. For
co"tsn. ala'Eac County returned to local ABanss-
oEa moro property In value than IL did tho Unit
e4 htafc9 rcnals.Ehtlserc.g.
Gouk COUNTY 1AKEs A nAhD.
Perhaps oH0 Of tho GREATEST DISCREPANCIES
noticeable in tho returns ia ttlat Of Cook County
In la59, tito County AsHtssurs found s19, 2G3.-
r. worth Of tnxnh!o property. But. Ill 1850.
sae Federal ccnHl1a-tatera found SllG,71l, SJl
'ota could only lind sai.o7o.l91 taxable pvo,,-
e;ty; shameful falling of in two years, whom
sAe population must have Increased l5 per cent,
each outrageous violations Of tho ltcycnuo
law consrred 10 bring tho Slate board OF Eanal-
!2at!on INTO existence In fact, ths creation OF
the stato Board WAS u confession Of tho eutiro
talluse of tho Rercnub System as asmDistc1ml,
~ county ot'rlals. At frat II mas contemplated
~ Haas ttIe state Board of Equalization sloulu only
Gus copntieH and wLcro ono county nranfostIy
concealed thc truo ya!uo and amount OF ita taxa
ele property. tho Hoard should no discloae. aud,
" reducing tho KrntH slim Of tho taxable prop.
,tGuuctIon ,r q, tho value of tho BIliTkinI county
THUS: lo Dayiess untcrrateti ior taxable rroi,.
etty III por cent. hnh SGassae returned tAo fill
Saa sn.ao Of hes property dodnc! per cent from,
GTcRn1slns Gds1s every county in tho State, and
equalizlnE thotn Oh tho above plan, auu tlo
h.n'lu pa'ahca'naeot Yaa atrnck, which ended
IT, 1ao saeos' & 81 the sssto Hoard Of Equalization
C'ctk Of such alterations A. Tho f,tato BOAR hn1
caused to DO made on Its ElsH OF taxablo r,ronnr.
IT, aud collections wore maio arcofulup to tbrrc
rcYib,pnH. ~ 'A'se
THE STATE boAnp uSwternv.
Iho original State hoarI Of Eu,la|izatfon ron.
ftled Of QUO member from each Senatorial M.
.:lct. h1tef cue Of Two aosslons, Il mas fonna
loo Nnw3elay anu, iu 1917, tho number w.s r.'
aacoa to nueteen, -oGo from each Coperaa,ion.
al District. For awhile, the Board seemni r.
noct tho general expectation OF tl,p Dnonto Inn
two yaars ago, it bBgan to fall into jie}aynr
tltonE effort was m.do Inst Hintor 10 gboliah II
ltd Tho cffurt would hhye mot With puccess Il;
unfortunately. tue Wotst Legislature I'M ovar a..
convened IN Illinois had not been In sa.s, Gsse
Tho board has brought upon tself much h.I1. c1I,i'
eIsu, especially sincs tho F.r.nsrs MoVamg'as,u'; g's,',
came GU the surface nj political oresnixaIion'
Tue continued hArpnE upon tho subject Of rs;i.
Ioad-tnonopo!y, eatortio,1. etc. taught i eooa
nlany members of tho Stato board of EnuaI,1na"
t!on that tho principal labor doyolviue INN,
them MAS that Of cntching railsoad-cosnor.,
nonH and mhkfuR them BMoko."
Last year tho loarl Nas In session tlfty-eioht
dAYR. am crcd,bly informed by sAlllful ac.
countaut that. with tho same clerical assistance.
ahd under thu direction Of the Auditor be
would liaVo turned out all their tabular Btats
inchts aud perfected the equ4llxaton Of 1874 in
twenty dars. Tint ia to H4y. tla nneteen mem,
Lera Of tho State Board for iiity-eIsht days wcro
merely useless and ornamental appeudages Of
th9 lsevenno department. for at lust the priuc{-
!fas anu only legitimate aud necessary tabtr Der.
Turned was tl& work Ut tles6tate Auditor aud
tue clerks.
TIE rnEsENT HOARD
II constituted u follows;
First Datrrt-Wtlllau u. Whitney. y1tn,d,,a r,-
Is9e County, real,ealatn dealer. AA'"'eAA' oa'