Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-07-10
DETROIT LAND OWNERS SQUEAL.
ING.

The Standard said last week that the
holders of acre property in Detroit,
Mich, were bursting with indigna-
sors in raising the assessment on their
property to something nearer its real
value than had ever been the case be-
fore. A late number of the Detroit
Journal has come to hand, which not
only confirms the report about the sin
dignation, but tells of one large prop
erty owner, VIM. G. Thompson by
name, who declares that he is on the
warpath, where he intends to stay until
he has the political scalp of City Asses
sor Perren, who is the cause of Mr..
Thompson's woes. Thompson is mad
clear through He met Mr.. Perren yes
terday, says the journal, and the ex-
mayor and land agent began to use I'M
classical combinations of words:
Say, see here, Perren," he said, in
effect, you raised the valuation of a
certain tract of land 500, 600 last year.
and now l understand you have tackled
on 500, 900 more this year? Why
you know we can't stand that. III see
NAT yOu don't remain assessor long,"
"Oh, it is more than 500, O00," said
Mr.. Perren, with his enthusiastically
pleasant smile and quiet manner. 1.-THE
exact figures are 1852, 1000"
Language is inadequate to express
Thompson's state of mind at this frank
statement and his threats of vengeance
against Assessor Perren. 1t takes
n IN anairct c,,nh
tons of wealth as the Brush estate,
says the journal, but Mr.. Perren is
equal to any occasion. He told Thomp-
son that the property was assessed at
the same values as surrounding prop
erty; that he knew what it is worth,
and he guessed there ought to be no OBJ
lection to the valuation.
The journal says that Thompson, at
The time of this colloquy, did not know
erty belonging to the Brush estate and
Mr.. Thompson did not know when he
met Mr.. Perren, that that had also been
assessed higher than the year before.
Thompson was indignant at the hun
dred thousand increase on one piece of
whereas the assessment on the
entire estate had been raised $500, 900
over last year. One piece of ninety-six
acres was raised from $Ss, 900 to S154,
BOO; and Mr.. Perren thinks it will
stand.
The journal gives in detail the in
crease in the assessments of a large
amount of property in Detroit, and
shows that the total increase will reach
BIZ, 900, OOO
James A. Randall one of the large
property owners affected, takes the
matter philosophically. He owns 1O6
vacant lots, which In 1881 were assessed
at $4,000 This year he will without q
kick pay taxes on a valuation of Sl23,-
760, jump of 2, 400 per cent. in ten
years, and it is possible that even this
does not represent the full increase in
value that has taken place in those lots
in that time. 1t ought to be great
object lesson for the Detroit people.
The trouble about assessments is not
all on land; some of it is on the water.
Under the law the Detroit assessors
have to tax all vessels registered in that
port For some years past this law has
been more honored in the breach than
in the observance; but this year Assess
or Perren, evidently not desiring to be
caught by the land owners in an in
fringement of the law, has put the lake
vessels on the tax roll on basis of 25
per cent. of their value. The ship own
ers are very angry about it, and threat
en- to move to a town called Hamtranck,
where they will escape local taxation
One man, who owns YES
sells worth not less than 81, 900, 000 told
Mr.. Perren that il he did not reduce the
valuation on them to at most 800, 900,
he would move his vessels Immediately
and not pay cent. Mr.. Perren said
that it could not be done, and as the
vessels will go to Hamtranck, Mr.. Per-
rem recognizes that Detroit will lose
much of its shipping because of it's fool
ish tax laws; he says he would not tax
vessels if he could help himself, but
what can we assessors do about it?"
The personal property tax advocates
ought to see the moral in the assessors
remark. Standard.
PRIVATE ownership of land is tho
neither milestone Material progress is
the upper milestone. Between them,
with an increasing pressure, the work
ing classes are being ground. -Progress