The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1901-08-31

great solicitation for the welfare OF thu
people, and its great adherence for th'
soulless corporations, Is not ct al
pleased with the result and insists on
scoldIng the state board for not max
ing greater increases, The fact is The
Post Dispatch seems TO be utterly un'
able to discuss the subject of taxation
with any degree Of fairness or candor.
It makes palpably untrue assertions
with the ~recklessness Of the mosI
pestiferous pestitogger,
"For instance, II asserts and re-
asserts that real estate and personal
property In ST. Louis is assessed at 70
per cent of its actual value, while the
street railroads are assessed at So Is
per cent. No one knows better than
the Post Dispatch that the statement is
not true.
at has been claimed by the board of
assessors of St. Louis that the real
estate of that city is assessed al 20 per
cent and there is more or less founda-
ton for this claim. This is done, as
the POST Dispatch well knows, by the
local authorities for local purposes.
But personal property is not only not
assessed at 40 per cent but it IS not
valued for taxing purposes at one-half
or one-fourth or in some instances at
one-tenth this figure.
"Let me cite a Ease in point: The
Joseph Pulitzer Publishing Company.
better known as the St. Louis Post
Dispatch. is capitalized at $1,000. 900,
fully paid up. Its stock is not on the
market, but its officers swear IL is
100 cents on the dollar. As a
of fact, 1t can not be bought at
that figure. An assessment of 20 per
cent would, therefore, mean q taxable
valuation for the Post-D Dispatch OF
800, 600. An assessment of 3S 10
per cent, which is the usual rate
throughout the state, would make
1888, 1888. S3 Is. Now let us see If the
Dispatch tells the truth when 1t
lsserts that personal property in St.
4ouis Is assessed at 10 per cent. For
he year 1900 the Post Dispatch was
lssessed at $4,000, upon which il
'aid local taxes amounting 10 1920 SO,
md paid the state s6l.60. The as
essment of the Post Dispatch this year
'as increased by the local assessors
400, and that great paper will pay
for 1900 on an even 1926, 900.
instead, therefore, of an assessment
40 per cent, the Post Dispatch is on
n assessment OF ~ per cent.
"The board of equalization against
'hich the Post Dispatch rails, assessed
he street railways of St. LOUIS at more
'er mile than the actual cost of con-
truction and equipment, then added a
ranchise value of $4,000 per mile,
a total assessment of S44. 900
'er mile. In other words, a little
more than half a mile of street railway
Jays as much taxes under the assess
nent of the state board as the million
lollar POST Dispatch pays under the
'aluation fixed by the city assessor.
"The considerate treatment accor.
led the Post Dispatch by the city as.
'essors is evidently appreciated by
hat journal. Under the circumstan.
it would have been exceedingly
lnkind of the Post Dispatch for il to
nave stated the fact In discussing this
important subject that under the law
Which required street railways to be
assessed by the local authorities the
street railways of st. LOUIS were as.
iessed at but little above So, O0O. 900
while the state board assesses the
Jn'ted Railways company alone at
'lO, oOOOOO, or more than three times as
much.
81 know of no other taxpayer in the
farmer, merchant, laborer
Mechanic, corporation or what not his
BUSINESS may be, who has attained such
olossai success as a tax dodger as
Millionaire Pulltzer's st. Louis million
newspaper"
The French ambassador has ,e,,
'onstantinople for parts unknov,
the sultan became cnraped AZ
demands nj Eranco