Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1906-01-25
MICHIGAN
HAPPENINGS
STATE TAX COMMISSION
IN OPEN LETTER TO
MR.. BIRD.
ASK HIS COOPERATION IN WORK
OF THE BOARD OF REVIEW
IN FEBRUARY.
BOARD IN Session TO HEAR The
RAILROADS AND OTHER OF
THE CORPORATIONS.
Letter 70 Attorney.eeneraI.

The criticisms of the valuations OF
general and railroad properties made
by the state board of tax commission
ers under the Galbraith equalization
law. have resulted in an open letter
to Acknowledgement Bird, who recently
began suit to have the law declared
unconstitutional. The letter follows;
Hon John f. Bird. Attorney-General
Lansing, Mich:
Dear Sir-We notice in the daily
press of the state that the result
reached by the state board OF assessors
in fixing the values OF the railroad
properties of the state and in deter
mining the rate of taxation for the
same was in your opinion more favor
able 10 the railroads than can be JUS
titled by the facts.
1--WE also notice an interview given in
:he public press by your deputy, Mr..
Harry r. Chase, which presumably
| has your Endorsement, stating that GER
tain railroad properties were under
valued. II is evident from the inter
view that your department is in pos
session Of important facts relative 10
| the valuation of the railroads OF the
state not known 10 the state board OF
assessors. However, there Is stlll
ample opportunity to make the show
| ing. We do not claim any such degree
| of infallibility as is asserted in certain
quarters, and we used our honest Judg-
ment in arriving at our published con-
illusions. If ii can be shown that errors
of Judgment have been made, there is
still ample opportunity TO correct all
errors. The state board of assessors
/ will be in session in the city of Lam
sing until February Is, 1906, as a
board of review and We believe that in
fairness to us and To the state you
should come before the board and give
lus the facts upon which your published
iopinions have been based. We shall be
more than pleased to fix time salts
factory to yourself for public hearing
at which all parties interested may be
present and the whole matter Of val
ues and rate thoroughly examined.
Gov. Warner desires a hearing and
no doubt a tine convenient TO botf
can be arranged.
The statement has been made tha
the condition of affairs which allow:
the state board of assessors to fix one
rate for the general properties of the
state and another for the railroad
properties is intolerable. The state
, board of assessors, as you know, doe
not presume to fix the rate for the gen
eral pTq9erEes, as that is done by tn
! local. .horities. in arriving at th'
rate for the taxation of railroads th'
board is given authority by the Gal
braith law 10 ascertain and deter
: mine" the cash value of all the pror
erty of the state. If the rate is too loN
the board has placed the cash valu
4 OF the state at too high a figure an
r every supervisor or assessing office
/. and every other citizen of the stat
a who has the interest of the state a
heart and wishes to be fair to the con
mission itself is in duty bound TO al
pear and give evidence which may b
! in his possession tending to show tina
i the board Is in error.
= We shall be glad to hear from you {
Y your earliest convenience.
ROBERT II. SHIELDS,