The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-08-27

Aah ~ VI ElNck Oauos ~
for instance. has $50 miles of such roads
and Boone over two hundred miles. He did
not think the whole county would sell for
Its appraised value of S32.13 an acre. The
Governor suggested that if the representa-.
tlves OF the several counties were allowed
TO occupy all the time they wanted the
board would not finish it's work until next
year sometime. whereat Mr.. Golfer re-
trained from further argument. 1t was
then suggested by Commissioners Hender-
son that subsequent statements should be
confined to presentations of facts and hg-
ures. and not allowed to stray into argu-
ments.
John GramelspL cher briefly urged the
board not to increase Dubois county D per
cent, though he presented few reasons.
Inc average assessment is S1.9S per acre.
ID HANDICAPPED.
Thomas G.. Owen said that Greene county
was decidedly averse to a 10-per-cent. IN
crease. 1t was one of the largest counties
in the State, containing 339.O97 acres. and
had no gravel roads, no factories. but two
railroads and no large towns. The timber
taken off the land during the past five years
had naturally lessened it's value. On the
thousand acres of marsh land which should
be taken into consideration. Mr.. Owen
thought.
Deputy Auditor c. C. Jordan, of Harri-
son county. filed a statement protesting
against q 10-per-cent. increase, and Audi
itor Joel H.. Matlock did the same for jack
son county. saying that much of the land
in that county was scrubbS. and not worth
50 an acre.
Assessor Charles E. Mills, of Jasper coun-
ty, urged the board not to raise that sec
tion 10 per cent. as contemplated. The
county comprises $4,000 acres, or $50
square miles, of which there lie under Guilt
Walton - per cent. or $1,000 acres. The
other a per cent. is sand ridges and swamp
land, and unit for cultivation, n its av-
erage value for taxation is 81 an acre. Its
actual value ranges from 81 to So an acre.
The increase in the assessment is q little
over 80 per cent. Mr. Mills said he didn't
want to run the county down, but that Its
possibilities are slim. Much of the land of
the county has not been surveyed.
Ex-Representative w. A. Cullop appeared
in the interest of Knox county, which he
said was different from any other in the
State, being surrounded on three of its
four sides by rivers, IN consequence of
which nearly ell of the bottom lands we're
overlooked. Knox has $3.50 O acres, and
with an average assessment of Sl5.34 pei
5000. the fbs sssre srs t snfv va 1ls.eco is acres ss;,
under cultivation. and of the 49,
600 not cultivated $4,000 acres are,
absolutely worthless, being ponds that can
never be drained: That leaves $4,000 acres
acre, is worth S3S6,OOO. Deducting that
amount from the total valuation leaves
S4,503,OO0 the assessed value of the tillable
land OF Knox county, or an average of S26
an acre. which Is more than 1t will bring.
MIR. Cullop personally knew of land listed
for taxation at SCI an acre that sold for $40.
He didn't think Knox cOunty land
would bring the assessed value in the
market if the transaction were cash.
He, therefore. Thought. a l0-per-cent. in
crease, as proposed by the board. would be
imposing q heavy burden on the people of
his county. Judge Niblack corroborated
what Mr.. Cullop said, and added that if the
waste land was ever reclaimed 1t would be
fine property. but it would require q heavy
expenditure in the way of levees and drain
age 10 do so, and years must necessarily
pass before that was done. 1t was q matter
of regret. but nevertheless true, that land
in Gibson n Davies counties always had
brought more money than that of Knox.
Treasurer George w. Donaldson. of Knox,
submitted a mar showing the swamp dis
tricts referred to by Mr.. Cullop and Judge
Niblack, and said this land ranged from 30
cents to 81 all acre. and that the average
for the entire county of S15.3f was q fair
and even a high appraiseinent.
Lagrange county, through County Attor-
ney j. s. Drake. protested against o raise of
. per cent. The valuation In 1856 was
S1S.34 and the recent assessment S1S.51 per
acre. and the proposed increase would make
it S23.14, or add g. 1C2. 900 TO the value of
lands of Lagrange county for taxation. and
there could be nothing shown. he claimed.
10 Justify such n raise.
ID. 7. Grover filed q statement showing
why LaPorte county should not be in
creased 10 per cent. on an average valuation
of S17.13.
Auditor Philip McGovern, of Martin
county. claimed that the land there was
appraised fully mp to its true cash value
at S6.07. There was nothing to justify a s.
percent. increase.
Auditor Z. T. Blair, of Monroe. said that
it was well known that his county was one
of the poorest in the State, and, if anything,
was annraised too high at an average Of
s9.o7 an acre. He therefore protested
against a 15-per-cent. increase, say
ing that of the twelve townships
of his county seven We're compelled to pay
the taxes OF the entire county. In the other
five, where the average appraisement an
aero was S4.O3, land could not. he claimed,
be sold at any price. The government had
to reduce O tract Of land IL owned from Sl.25
to 1214 cents an acre before 1t conld be sold.
He gave instances where land in these pOOr
townships recently sold for from 10 to 80
cents an acre. Last year the county for
feited 1868 acre to the State by reason OF
on-payment of taxes. In answer to a ques-
tion he said he believed Lawrence county
much better able 10 stand the increase
necessary to egualize assessments than
Monroe county, which would. under the
present valuation, be taxed as much or mere
than it could pay.
UP TO THE SELLING VALUE.
Judge Farrell represented Orange county
and made a statement that evidently inn
pressed the board very favorably. He said
that the county could scarcely stand a s.
percent. raise as proposed. its average as
sessment of S6.31 being fully up to the
actual selling value of the land. Ii has
four hundred square miles, and during the
past few years almost all the valuble tim
Dor mas been cold of the land. Last year
tho Studebakers took off SECS, 600 worth of
timber. 1t is impossible to raise corn there
and grass is about the best they can do, &C
cording to Judge Farrell.
Auditor NJ. +. Casper, of Perry county.
claimed that the seemingly low assessment
of $3.50 was fully as high as the character
of the lands of that county would warrant.
Much of it had deprecated because the
timber had been removed. He bad adver-
tised forty acres for sale at from Sl.50 to s.
an acre and e failed to bring enough to
pay the taxes. An increase of 10 per cent.
would put the valuation too high. no said.
Auditor Aaron Jones. of st. Joseph county,
told the board that his county had consid-
cradle marsh land, and when that was
taken out of consideration the average wac
brought up to S23.04. He therefore held
that S20.4 40 was q fair valuation, and that a
10-per-cent. increase would be On injustice.
The county, Mr.. Jones said. actually had
not one mile of good gravel road.
Assessor Jacob Keller told the board that
Starke county at S4.75 was honestly as
sessed II could not possibly stand the
contemplated raise of 5 per cent. Much OF
the land in the northern part of the county
sold for from 81 to e. IN acre, yet is assessed