Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-02-13
YALE Clair County. Mich FRIDAY, FEB. 13, 1891

part built up with valuable residences,
etc. C.. A. Ward also plotted Il large
tract which has been built up with eX-
pensive residences worth at least value
one and Il half million. rhe Fifth
ward, since 1880, has removed and
plotted the cemetery and with it all
other vacant land on Pine Grove Ave.,
north of Pine Grove Park, has been
built upon mainly with residences cost
ward contains also the Fibre Works,
and some residences costing $4,000,
adding in all to the assessible value of
that ward nearly two millions. The
Sixth ward is the tunnel ward and
railroad centre, whose valuation has
advanced by the rise in real estate for
many purposes fully two millions
since 1880.
Now Friend Bailey, let us put the
figures together and see what they
amount to. But just before doing SO
let every body have in mind that since
1880 Port Huron has grown as fast in
population and every other way as q
city could grow. The First ward was
equalized in 1880 at $3.50, ,450, in 1890 al
S596 $50, just $40, ,450 for the million OF
improvement i'll ten years. The Sec
ond ward was equalized in 1880 at 1897 ).
575, and in 1890 at 1867 $50, $40, ,025 less
than in 1880 on account of the improve.
ments, etc., made in the last ten years
of nearly two million. Now please
answer what is the matter with the
Second ward that it is worth $50, ,025
less than in 1880. The Third ward was
equalized in 1880 at SAG, 1875, in 1890 al
S43l 1925, just $44 900 less than it was
equalized at in 1880 with all its business
blocks, etc. However explained, il
seems that Bailey and his confederates
reached the conclusion that the two
millions of improvements could be
wiped out by equalizing it at $44, 800
less than in 1880. The Fourth ward
was equalized in 1880 at $499,l75, in
1890 at $507 ,025. For wonder, Bailey,
did not you and your pals make a
mistake in calculation? This ward il
equalized at the enormous sum of ST..
$50 more than in 1880. OF course the
people can see that the one and half
millions it has grown in the last ten
years is wiped out and fully satisfied
by the 81 $50 addition. The Fifth ward
was equalized i'll 1880 ut $393,775, in
1890 at S524,600. Is this another mis-
take? Did you intend to raise the
Fifth ward above 1880? The raise il
$l30,S25. OF course this does not re-
duce the real assessible value of the
improvements made in that ward for
the last ten years but trifle. There
is big difference between Sl30, ,S25 and
two millions. The Sixth ward was
equalized in 1880 ut S29S $50, in 1890 al
1882 900. Another mistake, Bailey.
You ought to have kept an open eye
on your help. A boss ought always to
look after his men. If you had done
so this ward would not, in all probable
ity, have been raised SS4 $50 over 1880.
Well, do not worry. The two millions
of added wealth in ten years escapes.
Now, Friend Bailey, you have a
grand opportunity to convince the peo-
pie that you and your helpers are
saints and could not do wrong. Try
and convince the back towns first that
Port Huron has only increased in tax
able value in ten years Sl64 ,230. When
you have done that you can get Il pat
ent for your ability. These are the
figures for the whole city's equalization
for 1880, So, l46 900, in 1890, So $40 $50.
Fish out the mistakes if you can.
And right here comes the question
have some or all of the towns advanc-
ed in assessible value during the same
ten years? The writer, not being ac-
quainted with the market or cash value
of any of the towns but Brockway can
speak only of it. In 1880 it was equal
lied at S5l2 $50; and all know that real
estate in 1880 could be sold for double
what it can be sold for now. Farm
lands, improved and unimproved, good
and bad, can not be sold to-day for
more than $40 per acre, amounting to
1868 $40. Now taking out one mile
square for the Village of Yale, at Sic
per acre, makes the whole valuation
S35S, $40. Adding S150,000 the cash
value of the Village of Yale, makes
$50S, ,347, Just $SS,950 more than the
whole village and town can be sold for.
Going no farther, let us figure up the
increase of the assessible real estate of
Port Huron since 1880, First ward one
million, second ward two million,
Third ward two million, Fourth ward
one and one-half million, Fifth ward
two millions, Sixth ward two millions,
amounting to ten and one-half mil
lions. Now, adding that increase to
the aggregate of the city's equaliza-
ton in 1880 and we have 1886 800,
just what the City of Port Huron ought
to equalize when compared with the
town of Brockway and village of Yale.
The balance of the towns can COM
pare with Brockway and in all proba-
bility will reach the conclusion of the
writer, that Port Huron, by aid of po-
litical suckers i'm the country, Is able to
avoid the payment of state and county
tax on ten millions.
Friend Bailey, no one desires to hurt
Mr.. Hodgins. He is decent, intelli-
gent, manly man. The majority of the
people are his friends. You are his
enemy. You were his advisor and adj
vised him wrong. You placed him on
the Committee to victimize him. The
promise to lower his town from last
year was the feather which caught
him, and helped to let Port Huron off
on ten millions, and the other cities of
the county more or less, while the
towns even then were raised above the
cash value three millions.
You may perhaps say the writer is
some "mean Republican" You need
not say so, for what meanness is in him
is Democratic. The writer never agreed
that pot-house politicians are anything,
and does not see any reason yet for