The Cairo bulletin., 1904-02-11
THE SECOND DAY
VERY BUSY ONE.
concluded from Fifth Pagel

assessors on Friday, before the first
Monday in April Of each year to in
struct them as TO the manner of as
sessing. think this is one OF the
most importan, meetings of the year.
and should be so considered by the
Board OF Assessors.
Ii is just to the tax payer that ev'
cry citizen should be equally assessed
according to the amount of property
he possesses. AT this meeting the
assessors should be instructed that
every piece and parcel of property
should be assessed at its fair cash
value. and not what il would bring
If put up at forced sale, as so many
people contend when the assessors
interview them.
| have noticed in my work, in
handling the assessors hooks, that
some assessors still value horses at
80 and SO dollars; another will value
horses. of about the same value. at
from $500 to $195. Some would val.
ne hogs at one dollar per head, re.
eardless of the size. another would
value them at so much per pound,
and SO on with the same degree of
variance with all other articles sub
iect To taxation II may readily be
seen how unjust an assessment of that
kind would be. Each assessor assess
ing property at different value 10
conform with his own views. or to
shit the party being assessed, and
by this means making the assessments
in the different townships very un
equal. that ii is not To be wondered
at that when the Board of Review
meets and trys to adjust the matter,
they find that about the only thing
they can do is to raise or lower each
township certain per cent. which
may be readily seen is a hazardous
way OF equaliaing taxation, because
the property is not within their view,
The land has been assessed upon the
same theory as the personal property
and the boards have on their hands
most difficult and perplexing prob
lem. With due consideration and re.
spect for the different boards of re-
view present, | venture To say, that
when this state of facts presents 1t
self. You have never been able to do
equal justice to all parties concerned,
and never will be able So to do. II
the assessor goes from house TO
house and from farm to farm and
views the property. both personal and
real, ana fails to place upon the same
Q fair cash value, how can the board
OF review. composed OF persons who
have never seen the property, raise or
lower the valuation with any certain
degree of equality.
| would there fore suggest that one
OF the greatest Improvements that
can be made in the enforcement Of the
law as II now exists. is TO reach
definite basis OF valuation OF all per.
sonal property. and that the assessor
Should be so thoroughly informed
concerning the basis fixed that II any
two or more Of them were called up
on TO assess particular piece of prop.
crty. they would have practically the
same ideas as to is proper valuation
for taxation.
The subject Of bridges has lave.
been and will ever be one of vast
importance to the development OF
every country. History tells us that
the ancients were builders OF things
permanent and durable as well. A.
beautiful. and so successful were they
in accomplishing the former that, to-
day, their edifces stand as monuments
to their memory, and are the pride OF
the peasantry and nobility of their
countries, In Greece. Rome and
France. the bridge of $50 years ago
present a true type OF what Is today
the personifcation of architecture and
durability. and no where was to be
found the oft familiar wooden bridge
with possibly one exception in "Ho.
ratieus at the bridge" where we learn
But meanwhile ak and lever have
manfully been piled. ~. !.
And now the bridge hangs tottering
!: above the boiling tide.
Bit with voice like thunder. fell
every loosening beam,
And like a dam. the mighty wreck
lay right athwart the stream.
Inanfllly been piled. and now the
bridge hangs fottering above the boil
ing tide. but with voice like thunder
fell every loosening beam. and like
dam. the mighty wreck lay right
athwart the stream.