The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-12-04
THE "DOINGS" OF THE COUNTY
BOARD.
To THE EDITOR OF TIE Prior:

philosopher and tax payer. The gentle
; men who made up this mysterious com
mittee succeeded, after diigent labor ant
research, in reducing the aggregate valu
, OF their own towns and cities enormous
". The astounding sum of 500, 1872. @
: has been thrown Of the fair city of Man
} itowoc from its value OF last year. Schles
wig has been quietly relieved of S33. 261
the city of Two Rivers unloaded of SO.
152; Franklin reduced S34, 013 and SO OF
until We find that the gentlemen VIII,
made out this interesting report reduced
the towns and cities which they repre-
sented just three hundred three Thousand
six hundred and ff5y-six (303, $50. 90
dollars, from the approved value of 1873
The city of Manitowoc pays but Is per
cent. of the entire taxes levied by tht
board, while few short years ago i
paid nearly . per cent. and then
''chuckled in its sleeve" at the reduction
it procured from previous years. The
| insignificant towns of Cato, Eaton and
Meme with their swamps, hills and
morasses, pay more taxes than the great
city of Manitowoc with its splendid
buildings, great manufactures, well filled
banks, gigantic Touring mills and
wealthy mercantile institutions.
| II is also exceedingly pleasant to look
ct the price per acre that this intelligent
| committee and more intelligent board
/ placed upon the lands of the different
townships. Liberty is township con-
| tanning much barren land and immense
swamps, and yet it is assessed at so. 90
per acre, while Schleswig with its beauti-
full lands, railroad and plankroads is
rated at but $1,000. Mishicott is put
down at $1,000, while $500 is s.tacked
on" to Eaton. Meme with its large
quantity Of almost worthless land is only
$500 beneath Centeryille-the "little
garden" of the county-and one of the
best townships in the entire state. Rock
land is placed far in advance of Two
Greeks, while Franklin and Maple Grove
go hand in hand to the treasury.
Seventy thousand dollars have been
levied upon the taxable property of the
county. This is weighty tax and will
fall heavily upon those towns that were
not favored by the committee on assess
ment. Kossuth, Liberty, Cato, Meme
and other towns not represented in the
committee nor favored by concessions
will soreIy feel the injustice of the as.
sessment. And this injustice is liable to
occur at any time so long as the assess
ment committees have such tremendous
power. 1t is composed Of seven mem
bers. Six more make majority. The
members Of the committee first pay strict
attention TO their own towns and then
become very friendly to SIX other men,
bers of the board and the towns which
they represent. The plot is consummat-
ed-the child is born. Those thirteen
hang together like the Greeks at
Theomopylae and valiantly scout atEall
opposition and Indignantly vote down all
amendments. They usually contain one
among their number who can call for the
''previous question" and though the 9th
er twelve may not know what the ID it
means they vigorously vote for it. De-
bate is IN consequence cut off and the
thirteen valiant and very much interested
men throw the remaining twelve entirely
at their mercy.
Place but three members-one from
each assembly district-upon the assess.
ment committee and the worst feature of
our present county government will be
abolished. It is to be hoped that the
next board will do something towards
eradicating, or at least improving this
evil.
A resolution was adopted authorizing
the district attorney to prosecute the as.
SCISSOR of Manitowoc Rapids for hot as
sessing the personal property of that
town at its full value. Why torture the
poor assessor referred to, whom other as
SCISSORS in the county are more guilty?
The Rapids assessor returned the total
value OF all personal property in his town
at S33, 317.00. The committee on assess
ment-and afterwards the full board
raised this to 81, 800. 00-an increase Of
S38, $4,000. The assessor OF the town of
Newton returned his personal property
at SO, 952. 90 which was raised to $685.
$500, an increase of $40, $1,000. The
assessor of the city of Manitowoc re-
turned his personal property at $685.
47600 which wss raised 10 $500, 361 90,
an increase of S161, $500. Now, in the
name of all that is holy, Just and equit-
able, are not these assessors more guilty,
and that too, according to the showing of
the county board, than the poor devil
from Manitowoc Rapids who is unjustly
| singled out to make 2 terrible example
| of? But then he may have no friends, in
which case, Mr.. District Attorney, do
your duty and crush him, while you suf-
fer the more guilty and more powerful
ones from Manitowoo and your 'tnative
heath Newton, to go scot free and
| laugh in their sleeves at the able mathe-
maticians of the county board who ''Ag-
ured' the Rapids assessor the greatest
transgressor,
| However, the board did one thing for
! which it should be highly commended.
By rousing vote they appropriated
5000 out Of the general fund towards
| the establishment of Teachers Lii
brary." The institution will be solely
and entirely for the benefit OF teachers.
{Woald to God that the members of the