Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1891-07-04
pETRo,TLAND OWNERS SQUEAl-
ING.

The Standard said last week that the
holders of acre property in Detroit,
Mich, were bursting with lndigna-
ton over the action of the city asses
sors in raising the assessment on their
property to something nearer its real
value than had ever been the case ne-
fore A late numb of the Detroit
journal has come to hand, which not
only confirms the report about the IN
dignation." but tells of one large prop
erty owner VIM. G.. Thompson hy
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..
Thompsons woes. Thompson is mad
clear through. He met Mr.. Perrcn yes
tcrday. says the Journal, and the cS-
mayor and land agent began to use un-
classical com binations of words:
Say. see here, Pcrrcn," he said. in
effect you raised the valuation OF a
certain tract of land 100000 last year,
and now understand you have tackled
on 500. 600 more this year? Why
YOU know we can't stand that. IH see
that you dont remain assessor ho"g."
"Oh. it is more than 100000. said
Mr.. Perren, with his enthusiastically y
exact figures are Sl62. 600.
Language is inadequate to express
| Thompson's state of mind at this frank
| statement and his threats of vengeance
| against Assessor Pcrrcn. it takes
| nerve to run up against such aggrcCa-
tions of wealth as the Brush estate,
| saws the journal. but Mr.. Perren Is
equal to any occasion. He told Thomp-
son that the property was assessed al
| the same values as surrounding prop
erty: that he knew what 1T is worth
| and he guessed there ought to be no Oh
| lection to the valuation.
The Journal says that Thompson. a
the time of this colloquy. did not know
the whole truth. There Is other prop
er,y belonging TO the Brush estate, an'
Mr. Thompson did not know when h'
met Mr. Pcrren. that that had also hcel
assessed higher than the year before
Thompson was indignant at the hun
| dred thousand increase on one piece o
| propertv. hereas the assessment on tn
| entire estate had been raised $500, 90
| over last year. One piece of nlnety-sl,
| acres was raised from SSS.000 to Sl3i'
| 600; and Mr. pcrreE thinks 1t vii
stand.
The Journal gives in detail the II
| crease in the assessments of larg
, amount of property in Detroit, an
I shows that the total increase will rcac
: Sl2. 600, 600.
, James A. Randall. one of the larg
property owucrs affected. takes IN
matter philosophically He owns IL
vacant lots which IN 1881 were aSscsse
a Mt g. 200. This year he will without
kick nav taxes on a valuation of Sl2'
= 76o. a Jump of 2.4oO per cent. in te
t years, and it is possible that even tn
y does not represent the full increase
" value that has taken place in those 10
V in that time. 1t ought to be gre
II object lesson for the Detroit people.
g The trouble about assessments is n
n all on land; some of it is on the wate
q Under the law the Detroit asscsso
have to tax all vessels registered in tn
n mort For some years past this law n
!. heen more honored in the breach thi
t in the observance: but this year Asse:
h or Perren. evidently not desiring to
O caught by the land owners in an
10 frinpement of the law, has put the la
D, vessels on the tax roll on basis. 80
N per cent of their value. The shi-
lr ers are very angry about 1t, and .
I. en- to move to a town called Hamtran'
it where they viii escape local taXati
Id altogether One man, who owns
v. sells worth not less than 81. 900. 900, L
10 Mr.. Pcrren that if he did not reduce
n valuation on them to at most $780, g
ne would m2ve bis vessels immediat