The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1898-04-01
THE NEW BILL.
The Measure Presented to the Legislature
for More Equitable Taxation.


Gov. Piagree's corporation tax bill as intro
duced In the legislature is as follows:
bill 20 provide for the assessment and levy
OF taxes upon the property Of railroad COM
nan!e@, express companies telegraph companies,
ana telephone companies
Section 1. The people OF the state OF Michigan
enact. That il shall be the duty Of the governor
within five days after this act shall take effect
holders Of this state and their SUCCESSORS there
3ft,r as their terms Of oiiica shall expire, who
with the auditOr-general Of the state. snail
constitute the state board OF assessors OF VIII ca
the auditor general shall be the president. The
persons - appointed shall hold their offices for
a. their appointment respectively. or until their
i'lccessor9 shali be appointed and qualified.
majority OF said board shall constitute a quorum
for the transaction OF the duties prescribed for
said board under this act.
Sec. .. Said board shall elect a secretary at
salary not 10 exceed $1,000 per annum. The
secretary so appointed shall hold his Office for
the ttrm OF two years and shall keep record
OF all the proceedings of said board, which
record with all other papers or proceedings of
nudltor-generals office, and OF which the aud
itor-pt neral shall be the lawful custodian. The
secretary shall devote all his time to the duties
of his Office and when said board Is in
session shall perform such duties as may have
been assigned him by said board he may
he directed to perform by the auditur-general.
Sec. provides for the members Of the board
and the secretary taking the oath Of office.
Sec 4. Said board shall hold its sessions at
the office Of the auditor-general. 1t shall have
access TO all books papers. documents. state
Of the departments Of state, subject TO the rules
and regulations of the respective departments
relative TO the OF the public records IL
shall make an assessment roll each year contain
ing a list OF all property by IL assessed, which
Assessment roll shall be fled with the auditor
general and be open to inspection like the other
files and records in his office. Said board shall
have the right to subpoena witnesses. The
person serving such subpoena shall receive thc
same compensation now allowed to sheriffs and
other officers serving subpoenas. Said board
shall have power TO examine witnesses under
OATH said oath to be administered by any MEM
her of said board or by the secretary thereof
hooks, papers accounts of any corporation
firm or individual owning property 10 be assessed
by said board: and II any corporation Arm or
neglect or fail to appear before said board In
response to its subpoena. said corporation, firm
Individual shall forfeit the sum OF $500 to the
Sec. D. The board shall meet on the first Mon
Day In September in each year. and between that
time and the first Monday In November of each
year Assess all the property In this state Of rail-
road companies, express companies, telegraph
companies and telephone companies now organ
lzed or hereafter organized and doing business I'm
this state. under any law OF this state or any
state country. said board may Inspect all
the property belonging to said companies, for
the purpose OF arriving at the true cash value
thereof for the purpose % assessment and 'axa-
tion. Said board may, Tor the same purpose,
take into consideration the reports and returns
OF said companies on file In the Office OF any OFF,
Ger in this state, together with such other evil
dence as 10 may be abe to obtain bearing upon
the true cash value Of the property OF said COM
panieS IN TINS states
See 6. Said board shall determine the rate of
taxes TO be levied and collected upon said as
sessments, and which rate shall be the same as
the average rate OF taxes for state municipal
and local purposes levied throughout the state
during the previous year. not including special
assessments for improvements assessed upon
properties benefited. made in counties cities. VIII
lagos or townships, and which rate shall lie
certaned by said BOARD from the records and
files I'm the auditor generals office and from the
returns OF the delinquent tax lists Of the several
counties. And In case any city, Village or town
In Ia eth hall moi ha
quired by law to return its delinquent local taxes
to the auditor-general. IL shall be the duty OF
any county treasurer, upon application OF the
luditOr general therefor to obtain from the treas
urer or other proper officer OF the city, village