The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-21
Governor Durbin Addresses the Con-
yention i'm the Forenoon and stand
ing Committee Are Named.
MEANING OF THE NEW LAWS
ATTORNEY GENERAL TAYLOR
CALLED UPON TO EXPLAIN THEM.
The Thompson Law Excites General
Enterest-An Unusually Large At
tendance OF Assessors.

The annual convention OF the county as
SCISSORS, in conference with the State Board
of Tax Commissioners. began its sessions in
the hall of the House of Representatives
yesterday morning at IL o'clock. The at
tendance is unusually large, due doubtless
to the passage by the late Legislature of a
law allowing compensation and expenses
Of all assessors attending the convention.
Late yesterday afternoon eighty-two county
assessors had registered their names with
Frank Martin, secretary of the State Tax
Board and of the convention. Five county
auditors and seven township trustees are
present for the purpose Of availing them
selves of the opportunity to receive infor-
nation concerning taxation.
H.. NJ. Hadley, deputy assessor of Marion
county, announced that Marion Eaton. his
chief. is confined to his home on account of
an accident.
The proceedings Of the convention were
opened with an address by Governor Dur
bin, who, by virtue of his position as presi-
dent OF the State Tax Board, is also presi-
dent OF the convention. Governor Durbin
created a little amsuement at the expense
OF State Capitol Engineer Samuel c. Shut
by commenting. at the outset of his adj
dress, upon the disagreeable temperature
OF the legislative chamber.
GOVERNORS ADDRESS.
The Governors address follows in full:
Gentlemen: L see that | an on the
programme. that has been prepared, for
an opening address. / always try at all
times and under all conditions to speak
well or my neighbOrs and my friends. As
soon as i came in contact with the air Of
this room / felt that the shorter time any
one was in here it would be the better for
our health. have no prepared address. L
doubtless all know. 1 have, night and day
and seven days in the week for several
weeks, given attention to the affairs of
state by reason of our legislative bodies be-
ing In session. In the place of giving you a
welcome, probably IL would be better to
thank you for coming here in the discharge
or your duties. You know that you are
always welcome to the capital city. 1t is
our city. indianapolis, as the capital city,
belongs to US, so we are always welcome
when We come here.
Il am not familiar with your duties-it
has been my good fortune, probably, never
to have held office until the one which
now occupy. / know little of the discharge
Of your duties except in a general way
where l have been called upon by you, or
those delegated by you in the discharge
OF the duties OF assessing property. What L
would say is that which you doubtless un-
derstand as well as / do-the duty de-
volving upon you is most important. L
cont know but what l would go a grade
~ 1oA alN a lit lOI
important responsibility is upon the town.
ship assessor. When / was in the service
L said TO the corpOrals in our regiment, or
those who were brought before me to be
appointed as such: You have the lowest
grade in the reRiment and yet you occupy
the most responsible position in the regi-
ment. You are the men that must go upon
and control the firing line. You are the
men to do the lighting
The mar who goes in the communities
TO list the property is the one upon whom
Tho 0Cnnnafhflffn Raaf and fhA, AnlrA
II, II grades up; the township assessor has
the heavy responsibility. and then you
gentlemen and your county board and last
the state auditor. This duty, as In the dis
charge of all other duties, should be dis
charged, / take II you all understand,
without fear or favor. Justice is what we
want in the administration of all our Of
tcial duties. No man has a right to ask
less and he should be satisfied with that.
"A man who is possessed of property
should have it listed. should have it APP
praised at a reasonable value. and then
he should pay taxes upon ii, and L do be-
lieve, gentlemen, that If We can so adjust
this matter of taxes TO make 1t equitable
and fair, and IL you gentlemen who have
TO do with the raising of the taxes had
more to do with the disbursement of them
4 think IL would be better. l think we
would nave less property hidden and con-
cealed away from you gentlemen. 1t would
not then seem 10 be a burden. If made
equitable it would be light upon all of us.
II don't system may be much
NA1AA IhdI VI OAAlC oldlCCs Oul vi
is Ii what we would like to have il TO be?
Sometimes We lay too much stress on the
large, the big corporations. we don't get
down the line and get those who should
pay. pay as largely and as equitably and
as fairly as the large pay. Somehow. we al
way try TO catch a large fish and we over
look the smaller ones. We don't want to
do that. nor do we want In the discharge of
these duties to lay upon any man, whatever
his position may DE, that which is unjust
and unfair. but when we have placed it
80 hin, eh4n me-. n~aWt hf- -
his obligation to the State and the law by
paying his taxes.
This is a great subject. 1 am not
familiar with ii. | hope possibly by your
perience-I will say to you incidentally
that in the talk OF relief for the office
which | hold IL was mentioned that | be
taken from the State Tax Board. 1 said.
No. no. l want TO serve on the State Tax
Board; j want TO acquaint myself with
that particular subject pertaining TO the
my duty TO my State. want to know more
about taxable property; i want to lend
every assistance j can as an individual
and by reason of the position | occupy to
you gentlemen that we may have out of
this that which we most desire.
Recurring to my first ~thought-the tenn
perature OF this room is such that | think
It would be we'll for us not to delay here
longer at this time until we can get a bet
ter temperature.
COMMITTEES NAMED.
Frank Martin was unanimously chosen
permanent secretary of the convention.
Governor Durbin announced that, owing TO
the press Of official business. he would not
be able TO attend the sessions. and ap-
pointed Tax Commissioners Parks NJ. Mar
tin to preside in his absence. The only
other business OF Importance transacted
before adjournment was the announce
ment OF committees by Secretary Martin.
as follows:
Sequestered Property-Alpheus G.. Comp
ton. Wayne. Henry Nobes. TtppecanOe:
Olynthus Cox, Randolph. VIII s. Stewart.
Delaware. d. Il. Grover. I.aporte: Allen
w. Newsom, Rush: Parks NJ. Martin. tax
commissioner, and the assessor from Lake
county.
Telephones-David Kintzel. Kosciusko;
Charles s. Weeks. Huntington: J. r. Phil
lips. Jasper: John NJ. Storke. Knox; W. l..
Leonard. MARSHALL; n. Il. Sans. Miami.
Merchandise-H NJ. Hadley. Marion;
Thomas J. Burchett. r. s. s. Reed, De
Kalb: John &. Ellis, Franklin; Amasa Co
hee. Hancock; John r. Habermel, Harri-
son.
stone Quarries and Coal M~ines-Philip
Ell. Clay county: John Daily, Daviess,
John II. Berger. Gibson: John T.. Eller.
Monroe; c. +. Mcdaniel, Parke: Jacob r.
. Pope. Lawrence.
Resolutions-D. NJ. Wheatley, Upton. as
SCISSOR OF Jennings county; J. NJ. Bonham,
Noble; Sherman White. Newton +. T..
Wade. Pulaski: j. q. Herod. Putnam:
Personal Property and Values-Assessor
Of Warren county Talvfp HAnnar ANar-