Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-05-09

| i'te uEuiuSl tViTuI'ttoI. Uut IL IN Ue-
lievcd that IL greater publicity could be
| given to assessments IL would have a
good effect. | am Informed that in
some cities assessments are published
In the newspapers by blocks. giving In
each case the name of the owner and
Il description Of the property together
| with the amount of TIE assessment.
This has been found to work we'll.
Another source of great injustice Is
the fact that almost every great inter.
est has managed to get special legisla.
ton changing the method of listing its
property. This makes uniformity of
assessment between different kinds of
property impossible. If the present
system could bc entirely wiped out.
and simple statute enacted providing
that everything that has a market
| value shall be assessed. either mt that
market value. or at u certain fixed per
cent. of Its market value. II would. nj
least. make fair assessment q posi-.
bil!ty. 1t Is the wilderness of legisla-
ton as to detail that has produced the
present monstrOslty. n prominent citi.
zen of Chicago has prepared state
mcnt which I attach as an exhibit he.
cause of remarkable facts It contains
and because 1t suggests u plan for uni.
form assessments that may be of value.
Newspaper Property, Etc.
While most corporations are assess.
cd by the state Board of Equaliza ton,
there Is upon the statute books an net
which provides that companies formed
for certain purposes. one of these being
the publication of newspapers. shall he
assessed as the property of private In.
dividuals Is assessed. This at first
blush looks harmless. but when more
carefully examined 1t Is found that only
the tangible property. such as presses.
etc. can be- assessed. and under this
clause many corporations which have
not much tangible property. but do
have a large business good will that
would sell for cash in the market. and
which makes enormous profits. practi.
cally escape taxation. IT their capital
stock were assessed Its market value
would have to be considered. md that
would be partially determined by the
dividends. For example. one Of the old.
est daily morning papers Of Chicago has
for very many years annually earned
ret profits amounting to upwards OF
S.jO.OGO. which would he large dlvi.
tlen,ls on between S3.OOO.OOO and $4,000.
900. During last summer the owners Of
this paper refused to accept q cash Offer
OF s3.OOO.WO for that property. thus
showing that they valued 1t ut still
: higher figure. Yet the company which,
owns this paper pays taxes on an rs.
scssment of only $4,000. In the
: case of small papers this law may not
work so great an injustice. for the tan.
slblc property may represent nearly all
: there IL of value. hut In the case Of
corporations having an established
, business which has u market value and
could be sold In the open market. this
l IL not the ease. The publishers of this
> great paper assume the right. almost
, to dictate to the community upon every
: public question. They assume the right
D to dcnounce whomsOever they please
They are In u sense above and beyond
4 the law. for u poor private individual
has no practical remedy against an IN
iust attack upon Its part. ana yet the.
@ manage tn throw the burden of support
4 Ing our government upon the shoulder,
4 Of Others.
~. cpinu Cur Charges.
:, During the last twenty years tn,
. prices OF all commodities ns we'll M til,
carrying charges of railroads have beci
: reduced from 80 to 90 per cent. but on
' people still have to pay the old extOr
tomato rates for sleeping car service
: which Inns become II necessity of mod
;. ern travel just rs much rs railrOnd
= are. The travel OH sleeping cars hns In
/" creased 80 enormously that this fac
= alone. aside from the general fall II
y prices and carrying charges. long ag
J. called for large reduction In sleeping
: car rates. The people of this grea
state should long ago have been Pre-
tected against this cXtortiOn. and ! ret
! ommend legislation on this subject an
u the establishing OF rates that shall b
u just to both the carrier and the public.
!" The Settlement Of Labor Troubles.
I. Owing to the division of labor. tn
n building of railroads ana the grea
=. consultations that have taken plac
IN In the mercantile and industrial field,
=, many of the theories of government NJ
10 plicablc nifty years ago are now uttel
IN ly Inadequate. In the great divlslO
=. OF industries each has become IL
,t pendent ON the other and none ca
"a shut down without affecting all. I'll
a. whole American people have adjuste
q. their affairs to the continued operate
II. of railroads. Any interruption affcc
40 the entire public. Again, all Of OF
a. industries depend on the regular SUI
.s ply Of coal, and II this Is interfere
So with 1t Injuries not only those col
h. nected with some mine. as was On'
~. the case. but the whole cOmmunit
20 Our civilization makes MS all int
~, dependent. Government must ket
~. pace with the progress of the age ~
y, meet the changed conditions, for 1t
,Io the duty Of government to protect u
In Whenever any men are pursuing
49, course injurious to the rest of the col
-, munlty the government should dc
~ with the question on the lines Of just
~ and NOT simply join hands with Il
strong TO crush the weak. In rcce
", years We have repeatedly had lab
" disturbances In the form of strik
| II .,tn In IA =.