The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-31
RALLIED TO NO AVAIL
MR.. BOssoN FAILED TO CONVINCE
THE TAX coMMrssIoNERs.
Assessments of the Railroads Made
Publfc-Board Compelled to Re-
verse It's own Ruling.

A peculiar case was before the Board
OF Tax Commissioners yesterday. IL was
case in which the board was compelled
to make ruling contrary to its own
former orders. Some time ago the board
sent out blanks TO the various county
SCISSORS. to be filled out by the property
owners. giving an itemized statement OF
their Indebtedness and the names OF the
persons TO whom they were indebted. for
which they claimed credits on their as
sessment. This was contrary to the law.
At the time the tax law was passed a
was stricken out at the recommendation
of the finance committee. because the COM
mittee thought that 1t might endanger the
entire law to leave IL in. The board
thought 1t would be good thing to have
such reports and sent out the blanks.
Some of the county assessors refused to
use them, while others did so. The as
SCISSOR Of Putnam county used them and
when Frank d. Alder ignored the blank
and simply made affidavit that he owed
$4,000 to which he was entitled to credit.
the county board refused to allow 1T and
assessed him regardless of the exemption
claimed. He appealed to the State boardl
and yesterday related the circumstances
of the striking out of the provision in
the tax law requiring such list. He was
member of the Legislature that passed
the law and was one Of its supporters.
The board did not take any action on
the matter, but from remarks made it is
certain that the only thing. pos
sible under the circumstances will be done.
The appeal will be sustained, al
though it is squarely at variance with the
former orders of the board. Several minor
appeals were considered and taken under
advisement.
. The afternoon session of the board was
somewhat stormy. Almost the entire time
was devoted to hearing the appeal of the
State Building and Loan Association, of
this city, which was listed by the county
board at N.6000OO. its entire authorized cap
ital stock. This is one of the associations
that refused 10 furnish a list OF its pre-
of the argument was the same old story.
The board told William Bosom, who APP
peared as the associations attorney, and
+. II. Hovey, the secretary OF the same
association, that its appeal could not be
considered until it had complied with the
order of the County Board of Review,
based upon the opinion of the Attorney
general, requiring the associations to furn-
ish list OF their prepaid and paidup
stockholders. Mr. Hovey said that the d.
rectors Of his association had instructed
the secretary, by resolution, to refuse to
asked II the secretary was ready to furn-
ish a list of such stockholders now and
was told that he was not. The Governor
then told him that IL the association re-
fused to open it's books the board must
refuse to consider its appeal. Mr.. Bosom
became somewhat angry and said he
wanted to enter formal protest He said
the statutes provided that the association
should have the right to appeal and that
the State board must hear the appeal and
then assess the association at its true cash
value.
but we have no evidence except the
word Of the secretary and the attorney,
said the Governor
Mr. Bosom then began railing at the
board for giving out a decision that it
would not consider an appeal. He did not
called to order by Governor Matthews. who
told him that such talk would not be per-
mitted before the board; that the boapd
knew its duty and would try to fulfill it.
''You have no information that this as
ISOLATION should pay taxes on sl,6Vooce,'
The Governor told him that such was
probably the case, but that when an at
tempt was made to conceal property the
board had a right to use its own Judgment
Judgment was that the County Board Of Re-
view had acted wisely in listing the asso-
citation at 1,6O0.OO0.
The assessment of the railroads was
made public yesterday. Their assessment is
still open to rerison. copy of the list
information that the board will meet again
Aug. 20 for the purpose of hearing appeals
from this assessment. The list is as fol-
lows: -,