The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-03-17
COMMUNICATIONS FROM MR.. w
GRANVILLE, Assessor OF THE
TOWN OF SUPERIOR.
The Assessors Bill.
;to,.s of .Suaerior Times


from w. Cranrsll as paid recently by the
Town Board, being the subject matter of con.
Germ to Richard Reh, the County Clerk, the
facts in regard to this transaction are briefly
submitted herewith, for the benefit of any
body it may concern.
The assessor in August last, before he had
completed the assessment roll drew $3.50 in
town orders upon account of the work, the
board acknowledging said payment as such.
These orders being properly "scrip' of de-
preciated value receivable in paying taxes
were sold at their current value at the time,
forty cents on the dollar, and produced
''ninety-two dollars in money. Afterwards
upon completion Of the roll, bill for the
work and services was presented to the
board, upon which this aforesaid $3.50 town
order was credited as a payment on account;
and the board on the 3rd of February paid
1921 town orders being the balance acknowl-
edged by them to be due the assessor as for
services in full. Said ordors-amount $23l-
were sold at current value, fifty cents on the
dollar, and produced $l15.50 in money,
making the net proceeds as received by the
assessor, his bi Il paid in full $207.5o cash
money.
The assertion as now put forth by the afore
said Richard Relf, in words to this effect
'The board of supervisors elected by the
people paid Mr.. w Cranwell last summer
$30S in full for his services as assessor. &c"
is 'lies" The board did not pay any such
sum as $30S, neither did they make any
payment in full" to settle. His further as
sertion: at was left for Cranwell after he
was appointed on the board to appoint james
S. Richie to vote him 1886 more, &C." is
likewise 'Hes" no such transaction having
occurred
The sum of $544 alleged to be receiv ed by
said Cranwel, as asserted by Relf, and the
sum of $207 80 actually received by him, are
wide apart, and just shows the unprincipled
nature of this miserable beggar, and with
what unmitigated malignity he will perpe
trate a falshood to do injustice to those whose
personal predictions he cannot influence,
With regard to the nature of the services
rendered, and the compensation therefor, a
brief exhibit of the thing may not be amiss
The business of the assessor commences
about May and ends in August. The terri
tory as covered by the assessment roll instead
of being comprised of town or township of
usual dimensions, embraces the sohole of
Douglas county; our local organization re-
quiring this procedure, there being but
zone" recognizable proper town in this coun-
ty.
In consequence of the speculation opera
tions of early. days. the descriptive fist of the
property embraces an immense number of lots
and blocks of unimproved property of a
speculative" or ''imaginary" value, all of
which require to be described in full, each
one separately in proper manner, and this
thing must be done gerry carefully because
the assessment roll is regarded as the ground
work structure of the whole edifce-for
everything connected with the "levy and COL
lection of taxes and tax sales" In brief
words the descriptive list of the property up
on our assessment roll, covering as it does
IAN entire county" is considerably more of a
list than the number of descriptions
usually shown in organ zed townships of 9TH
er counties where there are ''ive" s'slxn or
probably dozen townships" all separate,
,cih an assessment roll for each one; and hence
the work of preparing "our assessment roll, y
done in proper manner, is quite luxurious
undertaking, involving an amount of time, at
tention, and care, such as few men would
care to bestow upon the thing, for the COM
pensation it yields,
In the usual mode of dealing for compen-
sation to our town and county officers;
where the salaries are ''fxed by the board. y
and the recipient parties draw their pay every
month whether they hare or hare not done any
work, they all know precisely how much the
compensation is worth before they undertake
to do anything; as their salaries are paid in
town and county scrip-the present and en-
pectant value of which is duly estimated at
the time; and as a general thing they re-
ceive full pay in this manner for cyerytbinp
they do sometimes good deal more than
they deserve. But with regard to the duties
and business of the assessor which are ac-
tive and uptring all the time and which is
fixed by law"-the matter of compensation
to be considered is quite different thing.
The law of Wisconsin allows for this ser.
vice "three dollars day in monev.n Bv
money OF course we mean "gold," .'silver."
currency" or "bank drafts" whatever ia
exchangeable at par as trading medium.
The law does not contemplate any sucb
performance as "the confiscation" of a mans
time or property by making an agreement to
pay him "three dollars day" and then com.
pell him to take deprecated paper worth
"forty cents on the dollar If a man has a
mind to submit to this thing he may, but he
should not be compelled to do it. IF the law