The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-22
LAST TAX APPEAL HEARD
TAT BOARD EXPECTED TO AN
NOUNCE DECISIONS TONIGHT.
mbe Dined mt University Club and
Ate Watermelon in Capitol
Basement Yesterday.

Commissioners have learned one thing as a
result OF the session that is about 10 come
to an end" said State Auditor Hart, a
member of the board. last night, "and that
is that the law passed by the last Legisla-
ture relating 10 the assessment of trans
portation companies can be amended SO as
to be improved very much. You see. the
tax commissioners at this session have had
their first experience in fixing the assess
ment of these companies, and indeed there
are only a few States in the country that
have such laws. We have decided to
recommend certain amendments TO the
next session of the Legislature, looking to
a perfection of this law. The board has
had before IL a great deal of
and has secured from the various trans
portatiOn companies a vast amount of
data. We simply had to do this in order to
find out what proportion of taxes was due
Indiana on the mileage of the cars of these
companies hat traverse a number of
States"
Captain Hart said that the session of the
Tax Board, which ends to-day, has been
marked by the most arduous labor Of any
session held since the enactment of the tax
law of 1891.
The diminution in the supply Of natural
gas" said the auditor, has entered into
the values placed on pipe line and natural
gas companies TO such an extent that the
board has been compelled to figure on the
values of pipe and take into consideration
the receding rather than the approaching
value of all companies that handle natural
gas"
Concerning the publication yesterday
| afternoon of a statement that the assess
ment of the Indianapolis Street-railway
Company will be reduced, Secretary Of
| State Hunt said last night: A the time
BOARD had not considered the street-rail-
way assessment at all and as a matter of
fact none of the assessments will be set
tied until tomorrow CThursday.) Since the
amounts of assessments are decided In
secret session, L cannot see how anything
could be known about them outside of the
board. So that the person that gave out
such a statement concerning the street
railway compahy's assessment was simply
making a guess" State Auditor Hart cor
roborated Mr.. Hunts assertions.
OUTSIDE OF BUSINESS.
Governor Durbin was taken by surprise
and covered with embarrassment yester-
| day when Secretary of State Hunt moved
that the members of the tax board rise to
| their feet and thank the Governor for his
uniform kindness and fair dealing in pre-
| siding over the deliberations of the board
at it's session about to close.
At the noon hour yesterday the members
of the board were the guests of Secretary
| Frank Martin at a dinner in a private din
ing room of the University Club. Those
who partook of Mr.. Martins hospitality
were Governor Durbin, State Auditor Hart,
Secretary of state Hunt, Tax commission
| ers Wingate and Martin, Alva o. Reser, Of
fetal ~stenographer of tn, board, and Dep
AT 5 o'clock last evening the members of
the board and such Of the state officers.
deputies 3 and clerks rlsT re as could Il leave tSs tt their
| ment of the Capitol and ate fine water
melons provided by Tax Commissioners
casionally while the fruit still acted as an
impeachment to speech, complimentary re-
| marks were directed at Mr.. Martin con-
corning his reappointment as a member of
the Tax Board.
THE LAST APPEAL.
The Tax Board listened to the last appeal
OF the present session yesterday afternoon
when R. T. Gottschalk. representing the
j. S. Crump Electric Light and Street
railway Company. of Columbus, presented
a revised financial statement in accord
arce with a request of the board made the
| day before. The sessions of the board
to-day will be executive. II is expected
that the complete figures showing the as
sessments of all corporations will be given
out tonight. Frank Martin, secretary of
the Tax Board, assisted by o. 7. Parker and
George Il. Bingham, worked TO a late hour
last night in the effort to catch up with the
work of the board thus far completed.
The Tax Board has taken official cog
nizance of a complaint that was freely
made at the annual conference of the tax
commissioner with the county assessors
several months ago-that there is. a great
variance in the assessments of banks made
by the different county boards of review.
The assessments of bank property have
been found TO run all the way from so TO 140
per cent. The State board can, of course.
equalize these differences when appeals
| are taken from the county boards. but il Is
thought that a new law will be asked of the
next Legislature tending to correct this
L frnnh1e