The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-09-08
COMMUNICATED.
To THE EDITOR OF The PILOT:

To THE EDITOR OF The PILOT:
1t was to be hoped that the report Of
the tax commission could be used some-
what as guide by the future assessment
committees of the county board; but said,
report will prave as valueless to said COM
mittee as the original manuscript az
"Patrick's Day in the Morning" OF
course this circuit court tax commission
was composed of honorable men and no
doubt they discharged their duties con-
scientiously and in manner which they.
at least, deemed just. But they were
grossly Ignorant of the surroundings and
supremely oblivious of the matter which
| they had in hand. Nor can they be
blamed for this. No three men who per-
haps, never set foot in this county before
and who were entire strangers to its top
ography could arrive at anything like a
just and equitable conclusion as to tho
relative value of its different townships Of
ter few short days spent in wild goosa
chase within their borders. At best they
| occupied but ten or fifteen hours in tho
examination of a township consisting Of
thirty six square miles. A boy, just old
enough to discard pinafores and wear
pantaloons drove them through the coun.
ty. They were ensconsed in a covered
carriage so rickety in its general make
up that for this reason, if for no other,
they were compelled to seek and travel
only the very best roads. An open map
of the locality which they were "assess-
ing" lay upon their knees and after few
hours pleasant drive through a township
they returned to their ''headquarters"
in Manitowoc and determined how much
of that township was composed of good
land, how much very good, how much
bad and how much id bad.
OF course under these circumstances
and with this method of Investigation. no
just or equitable result could be obtain.
ed. 1t was merely guess work of the
genuine, down-east type. How in the
name OF all the departed saints and sim
ners can these gentlemen tell the amount
of good and bad land in township the
53-79ths of which they never saw How
can they tell the value of farm much
less whole township by travelling lit
tie along highway? Was it by guess
work or investigation that they added
about $40, 100000 to the assessment of
Manitowoc Rapids, township that every
one knows was assessed high enough be-
forea Why was Newton, one of the best,
if not the very best town in the county
reduced from its previous extremely low
valuation2 Compare the Rapids with
Newton. What sane man in the county
who knows both townships will say that
Newton Is inferior to the Rapids either
as regards location, wealth of soil or
value of real estate. And yet the COM
missioners ''guessed" that the real estate
value of the Rapids was more than $780,.
10000 in excess of Newton, or, to put it
palmer, that the town of Manitowoo
Rapids is worth nearly twice as much as
the town of Newton and hence ought TO
pay nearly twice as much of the general
taxes.
Poor, struggling, heart broken Mantle.
voc Rapids. 1t has been on its knees
for years asking county assistance to-
ward the erection of some of its bridges.
1t has pleaded poverty of resources, gen.
eral debility and enormous taxes on ac-
count OF unjust assessment of the county
board. But what will it say now when
1t Is raised to the very pinnacle of per-
lection; when its value is far and away
above that of any other town in the CONN.,
ty, SURPRISING even the wealthy and IA
nous Kossuth in the tremendous sum
of sl5O,000.0O. Yea, verify, we say unto
the town of Manitowoc Rapids, "you are
now surely able to build your own
bridges" and verify, yea, we say unto
the commissioners that sthe DAVIS Of
working miracles are not yet passed."
~ SouiSo tHo Clty VI MaQlGOWOC 6ecur-
ed an enormous reduction at the hands
OF the urbane commissioners; but though
the writer of this is no SLOUGH at mathe.
matice he fails to see the real or pros.
pective benefit which the city will derive
from such action. The only persons
benefited by the whole transaction ia
Charley White and the commissioners
themselves. Through the intercession
OF the commissioner Charley has received
the appointment of commissioner TO re.
view the assessment of the county of
Fond du Lac. 1t is evident that Charley
was chosen not for his great breadth of
thought nor knowledge of the matter in.
trusted to him, but simply for his I'M
swerving loyalty to city property holders
and intense hatred of the poor oppressed
grangers. And We'll bet new hat that
he'll not prove recreant to his trust nor
disappoint one iota the subtle city infu-
ence that secured his appointment.
JOHN CAREY.