The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-29
EOUALIzE THE TAKES.

Oh EQUALIZATION desire 10 feuUer equal anu ca
act justice to the people they represent, which,
of course, they do, they will, before fixing val
ues on property in this city and county, con-
slider its relative appraisement to that of prop
erty in other cities and counties in the State.
To those who have given the matter any
thought it has been known that Indianapolis
and Marion county have for many years borne
a very much greater part of the burdens OF
taxation than was their due proportion. The
taxpayers CT this city and county have quiet
ly submitted to the imposition of unjust APP
praisement long enough, and the Journal pro
poses right now, when the opportunity is at
hand to prevent the perpetration of this un
just discrimination. to say few words and
give few figures in proof of the statement
that Marion county, and the city of Indianap-
oils in particular, have been Disseminated
against by the action Of those having the mat
ter in hand.
The State Board of Equalization is supposed
" loOh dlteL IHo ludttcIs anu " pIOpOAiy
apportion the burdens of taxation but as
a matter of fact it never does Very probably
the State Board is not much to blame, posi-
bly, not in the least. The State Board hears
the complaints that are presented to it, and
nearly all the complaints are from railroad
companies, the result being that the railroads
have paid very small part of the taxes they
should have paid, as compared with other
kinds of property in the State. But the rail
road matter will be discussed in another arti
Gle. To-day the Journal desires to speak only
Of the assessments Of Marion county as COM
pared with other counties and with the State
at large. This can best be done by giving
figures from the report. of the Auditor Of
State for the year 1885.
Take in the first place, the assessed valua-
ton of the lands without improvements in sew
eral counties. In Marion county there are
233, $50 acres Of land, assessed at ST., 007 500,
or. without fractions, $47.06 per acre.
In Morgan county, adjoining on the
south, having on the average, very much
better land and more productive, there ARE
246, 273 acres assessed at 50, 099, Gas, or, with
out fractions, $1,000 per acre. Allen county
with 410, 006 acres is assessed at 81 500, S65, or
$3.50 per acre. Jefferson county, with Mad
son as its county-seat, with 228, S59 acres, is
assessed at So, 135, $50, or 1888 per acre.
Wayne county, universally conceded to be the
best county in the State so far as lands are
concerned, with thirty-od towns and cities,
has 253, COS acres, assessed at $8. $50, OCT, or
$50. 60 per acre. Rush county, containing
none but the best lands, and with better roads
and as good markets as any in the State, has
251 942 acres assessed at 81, 105 $40, or 1913. 20
per acre. Huntington county, considered by
State officers to be the average county in
the State has 242, 663 acres, assessed
at $3,269, 700, or $3.50 per acre
Take again the city of indianapolis as
against all the other cities, and towns, and
villages in the State. The total value Of town
and city lots in the whole State, without i'm
provements, is $73, 1873, 1O4, while the lots in
the city of indianapolis are assessed at So, 32O,
425, or, in round numbers, 80 per cent of
the total valutlon of town lots in the State
For improvements on town lots the total as
sessment of the State is $Ss, $40, 9eS; in Ma
vsn xx-h, oh - To-
lis-there being no other towns in the county
of consequence is SIS, HI, 730, or about "a
town property in the entire State. Taking the
whole taxables of the State of every kind
real estate, personal and railroads.&c. total
taxables are $793, 526, O79, of which Marion
county pays on $73, 451, 535. or nearly IL per
cent.
Here are enough figures to convince any
one that Indianapolis and Marion county pay
vastly more than their due share of the taxes
of the State. This article is already too long
to enlarge upon; but the Board of Equalization
can take judicial knowledge, as some of them
have personal knowledge, of sales of real estate
in this city within the past few weeks.
For instance one piece of property
on North Pennsylvania street, that is
assessed for taxes at over $50, 900 has been,
within week, sold for so, 500. Another, on
Meridian street, assessed at over $40 900, has
been sold for sos, 600. It is not true that In
danapolis is going down, or that its property
is decreasing in value, but it is true that Indi-
annapolis and Marion county have been paying
the taxes that were properly due from and
chargeable to other people in the State, and
the sooner they quit it the better. The Mari
on County Board of Equalization owe it to