The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-03
THF TAX MUST BE KEPT UP.
The Views Of Property Owners on the
Democratic Method of Assessment.
General Condemnation Of the Instructions
Given by the Commissioners to Keep Up
the Present Extravagant Appraisement.

G1yen Dy the commissioners TO Keep up
the Present Extravagant Appraisement.
It was some time before the present township
campaign began that County Commissioner
Sahm, in conversation with the writer, expressed
himself as being DESTROYS Of avoiding any deficit
of the county funds during his administration.
He said it would be troublesome to do. on
account Of the restricted tax levy but he
thought he could manage It, by economy. But
the one point he emphasized was that there
would be no deficits If he could help 1t.
with restricted tax levy for county
purposes even on duplicate Of the
present valuation" said gentleman yesterday.
enough money can be raised to meet
the current expenses Of the county, if looping
off In improvements here and there is made.
But the Democratic Commissioners are averse to
anything Hike deficit occurring under their ad-
ministration at this time. In their efforts how
ever, to accomplish their purpose they are un-
willing to wait few months, until legislation
can give them the remedy Of higher levy on
low appraisement nor do they take into consid-
Grafton that the value of the duplicate as to
personally will be increased in q natural order
of increase For the past two years there has
been lost to the duplicate about s., 900, 900 by
bank failures, but personally Of other
descriptions has held its own. Had these
bank losses been averted the natural
increase Of the duplicate would have been
more than sufficient to answer all needs Of the
county. This valuation on the coming duplicate
will be increased to 500, 000. 900. without any
forcing or unnatural estimate. Then the increase
of values in improvements will doubtless reach
$500, 600. Hence the duplicate can be main
tanned at its valuations this year without Cypress
ing any one"
But the fact remains that city real estate is to
get little relief. Commissioner Sahm and As
SCISSOR Messick say that they have been misin-
terpreted as to what they said to the deputy
assessors. Mr.. Messick gave the points of his
speech to the reporter in the presence OF County
Auditor Adams. He said: II told them to be
just and equitable In their work"
did you not tell them, also, that it was
necessary for the valuations to be kept ups
This means that, in equalizing assessments,
the aggregate values must not be lower than
they were last year. Commissioner Sahm took
the same position publicly on this occasion,
while Commissioner Clinton did not say word
one way or the other. Yesterday Messrs Sahm
and Messick were greatly disturbed at what they
allege is Misrepresentation of their expressions
They industriously sought to explain their posi-
ton, but did not refer to the conference that oe-
CURED between them before the deputies were
addressed. Commissioner Reveal also took part
in this consultation. Mr.. Sahm said then that
while the Commissioners had nothing to do with
making the assessment. he wished to explain
how their board stood in relation to coming dis
bursements. The thirty three cents levy would,
on the present valuation fail to yield enough
money, and il the duplicate went below its
present value large deficits would occur. Hence,
to avoid these. the duplicate must be kept up,
and, If possible, increased 1t is known that
Mr. Sahm thought and said nothing less than an
$780, 000, 600 valuation would answer for yield of
taxes to meet expenses at the current economi-
cal rate of expenditures. His speech to the
deputy assessors. as well as that Of Assessor
Messick, in regard to an equalization of assess
ments without lowering the value Of the dupli-
Gates, meant that an increase must be made if
possible.
This refers to personally which, at the best
advance even, at most extravagant values, would
supply only half of the So, 600, 900 increase,
which Mr.. Sahm thinks necessary. Real estate
then, must bear the other half, and since values,
according to acreage, have been reduced on
aT% b saa o nnr
gentleman will tend to increase rents and
place the homes Of the poor at value far above
their selling price. The poor freebooter will
not have the time or the influence to get the
Board Of Equalization to adjust any excess
of values, but the large holder will
be able to secure deductions if
the assessments are too high. He
will have the time to attend to the matter.
Therefore, in the end all this burden must fall
upon the small property owner, the people who
own no more than their own homes The larger
holder will have another recourse for saving
himself. Ha can put up his rents. No matter
which way you turn the poor must carry the
increase that the Democratic County Commits
sioners want the Democratic assessor to effect"
The advances real values in the city will
continue for six years, and during that time Ma
rion county will still pay into the State Treasury
taxes on more than the selling value of her prop
erty There will be this difference, though.
Since the reductions on acreage values
outside of the city have been made, the city
must bear the increased load alone; and as the
large lot-holder will in many instances
secure reductions before the Board of Equal
ization, the greater part Of excess of
values must be sustained by the poor working
people, whose earnings from hard labor are rep
resented by their little homes. Marshall Palmer,
Democratic candidate for assessor is in sympa-
thy with the Democratic County Commissioners
in advocating this mode Of Increase; or, as they
express it, 1T is wish that taxable values be
equalzed, but tbs value OF the duplicate must
be kept up"
The report of the Auditor of State, in which
is given an abstract Of the tax duplicate of the
different counties, shows that farm land in Mari
on county is appraised nearly twice as high as
in any of the other leading counties of the State.
While farm land in Marion is unquestionably
worth more than in other counties, there is GER
tainly not so wide difference in the market
value there is in the apprasement, of which
the following is comparison of the average per
acre. in round numbers:
Marion. -..-.-...... $47I Hendricks ...-..- 1927
Allen .--......... 10 Madison .-..--.-..-. 21
Bartholomew. ........ 22IWayne. 80
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 13lVigo .--...-....-- "a
Elkhart ..... 2OlVanderburg. ........ "a
Hamilton ........... 20l
The better class of farm land in Marion is now
assessed at the rate of 800 per acre, but the
classes of land.