Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-19
Over an Effort to Have Review
Board Raise Property
Assessment.
LOWER THAN ROCK ISLAM
By $e72, 62O-Hearing Had al
Court House To-
day.

SCISSORS, and the board of review has
been called upon to act as referee.
The hearing occurred this morning at
the county building. BY the size and
Importance of the delegation sent
from Moline to appear before the re
viewers one would be led to believe
the financial interests of our neigh
boring city were in dire danger.
Rock Island, on the other hand, de-
spite its assessment is considerably
higher than that of Moline, was rep
resented only by the two officials who
were responsible for the hearing. As
SCISSOR j. l.. Freeman and Supervisor
David Don. Here are the figures:
The total assessment of Moline is 90
24l.395. while that of Rock Island is
S2,9l4,O65, a difference of $672. 67O. or
in the full valuation of property of
$500, 100. The Rock Island officials
wanted to know why it was Moline
property did not, as shown on the
face of the assessors returns. in
crease in value to correspond to that
of Rock Island. Niger in the wood
pile somewhere. they minated.
MIR. Freeman's Version.
The population of Rock Island does
not very largely exceed that of Mo-
line" said Mr. Freeman in his state
ment to the board, land as to resi-
dence property, while our improve
mentS are somewhat in advance OF
those IN Moline, still the difference is
not very great. On the whole, | might
say. your improvements compare ia
yorably with ours But it is the fac
tories that bring up the value of a
city. and Moline is SO far ahead of
Rock Island in this respect there is
scarcely comparison. Whereas
have raised the assessment in Rock
Island quite materially the advance
i'm Moline has been very small" Mr..
Freeman held there should be an in
crease in Moline to correspond with
that of Rock Island. The difference
was too great to pass unnoticed and
escape the criticism of taxpayers, cs-
pecially those of Rock Island.
Another Rock Island View.
{. +. Hodgson, Il former member of
the county board, happened in during
asked for an expression of his views
lie commented on Moline having turn
ed out loaded for bear" and didn't
see where Rock Island had any show
for her white alley. He was not post
ed sufficiently on the comparative as
sessments of the two cities to enter
into an intelligent discussion of the
question, but it was apparent te him
that if the Moline assessment was fair
there certainly had been big infa-
ton of the Rock Island values. for
the difference was too great on the
face of the figures.
While naturally partial to his home
town, as a business proposition, if he
were given his choice of the two cit
les at the one price. he said he would
choose Moline, for the reason that he
considered it worth a great deal more
than Rock Island. its factory inter
ests being at least ten times greater
than those of his home city. How
ever. he did not mean by that that
the factories should be taxed out of
proportion. They should be treated
fairly. as they were the mainstays not
only of Moline. but of every communi-
~ fortunate enough to have them To-
Gated within their midst.
MoIIne's Position.
The Moline delegation was compos-
ed Of William Buttcrworth, Capt w.
c. Bennett, Conrad Grant,. II. \.
;mith, w. \. Rosenfield, c. Il. Aims
worth, l.. c. Banding, F. +. Samuels.
w. II. Edwards and c. +. White All
had something to say, and they agreed
that if anything the Moline assess
ment was too high and that it would
not be policy to make any increase
at this time. Mr.. White. who is SUI
perintendent of the Republic Steel
plant, claimed that of the 30 factories
operated over the country by the cor
pOratiOu he represented the taxes on
the one at Moline were The highest.
in fact, they were so far out of pro
portion to the others this year that
the company had sent a special man
here to investigate.
Capt. Bennett stated that for the
past 10 years the margin of profits in
his business. and he believed it was
the story with every other Moline
manufacturer, were declining. yet the
tax values continued on the rise He
felt that an Increase would be an in
Justice all around.
l.. c. Banding, of this city, speak
ing for the Moline Plow company in
| terests. entered into an exhaustive re
view of the Moline factory situation.
showing that, without the industries
there, Moline would be small affair
| in comparison to what it now is. He
cited that the factories there were
the result OF years of struggle, study
and labor. and without the brains that
had built them up and are still direct
| ing them would be worth but small
portion of the valuation now placed
upon them.
| Pointing to the comparative bank
ing interests of the two cities, Mr.
Blanding said that the two Moline
savings banks combined had a sur
plus of $3.50, 900, as against $2,OOO,OOC