The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-02-23
DEATH AND TAXES
All Avenues Of Escape From the Two Re
lsntless Foes Cut Of in Somerset
County.
vALUArI0ss REsULAaLY INFLATED.

According 10 an old maxim the only
two inevitable things in this world are
death and taxes There Is, OF course,
no escape from The former, and it appears
that so far as the tax payers Of Somerset
county are concerned there is little hope
Of escape from the latter
Al the last preceding triennial ASSESS
ment, it will be remembered, II was an
nounced with grand flourish of trum-
pets from the office Of the County Com
missioners that the valuation of all
property taxable for county purposes
would be increased twenty five per cent.
and in addition all mineral lands would
be made 10 bear their just proportion OF
local taxation.
The tax payers with one accord. said
"Amen % TO the plan of making foreign
owners of rich mineral and timber lands
pay their just proportion of local taxation.
But the Commissioners zeal in this di-
rection ran away with their discretion, as
afterwards appeared when some of the
owners of mineral lands went into court
and had the valuation-largely in ad-
vance of their apparent market value
greatly reduced. Instead of encouraging
foreign capital to develop the hidden re-
sources of the county, the "death taxi
adopted by the Commissioners was calcu-
lated TO drive capital elsewhere to the
great detriment of the county.
But it is pertinent to ask why was the
valuation of all property taxable for
county purposes so materially increased?
Since the erection Of the present county
Jail, at a time when the millage was
mills for county purposes, there have been
no public improvements, other than the
building of county bridges-the contracts
for which were all let in secret-under-
taken by the county. Prior to seven
years ago the revenue of the county was
sufficient % meet all ordinary necessities,
the Commissioners being Obliged to con-
tract only small temporary loans until
the outstanding taxes were paid into the
county treasury. During the administra-
ton of Messrs Neff, Wagner and Will
hanson in the Commissioners Office an
Indebtedness Of a few thousands left by
their predecessors was wiped out. The
gentlemen named afterwards erected the
new county Jail, Issuing bonds to the
amount OF $4,000, for that purpose, Of
which amount $1,000, was Cancelled be-
fore they retired from Office, and upon
their retirement they left cash balance
Of 5000 in the treasury and $1,000 out
standing taxes, against a county indebt-
edness of S2i.O0, in addition 10 Sl4.5O)
bonded Indebtedness bearing per cent.
interest. A large portion of the expense
incurred by the prosecution of the Nicely
boys, McClelandtown gang. etc, occurred
during the term Of Messrs. NefT, Wagner
and Williamson. These officials each
received less than 500 per annum FOR the
service rendered the county.
Compare the figures quoted above with
the more than 100000 expended by the
Commissioners during the year 1896.
Notwithstanding the boast of the late
Commissioners that they had increased
the valuation of taxable property 25 per
cent, and had raised large additional
amount of revenue by the taxation of
mineral and timber lands, it appears that
they were unable to meet the current ex-
penses Of the county, but on the contrary |
left an empty treasury and debt of |
thousands of dollars for their SUCCESSORS
in Office 10 grapple with. In order 10
meet the present Indebtedness the Com
missioners have deemed it wise to direct |
the various assessors to increase the val |
uation of taxable property approximat-
ing p per cent. From this it appears |
that the value of Somerset county real |
estate has been increased 50 per cent. |
during the past seven years for taxable |
purposes.